Al-Sadd draw 2-2 with Al-Sailiya

Al-Sadd lost out in the race for the Qatar Stars League title after they could only manage a 2-2 draw with Al-Sailiya in the Round 25 match played at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Thursday.

The result means that Al-Sadd now have 58 points, four points behind champions Lekhwiya, with just one game left to play.

Al-Sadd opened the scoring in the 13th minute through Xavi before Sanjar Shakhmedov equalized soon after in the 16th minute. In the 71st minute, Valentin Lazar gave Al-Sailiya the lead. Baghdad Bounedjah then went on to equalize for Al-Sadd through a 83rd minute penalty.

Spirited start

The match began with both sides testing the waters and looking to establish their control over the match. In the first ten minutes, there were no real chances for either team. Al-Sadd went on to apply a lot of pressure in the midfield as they tried to gain possession. In the 12th minute, Al-Sailiya had a chance to score, with Timur attempting a powerful shot from outside the penalty box, which hit the right post.

Xavi gives Al-Sadd the lead, Sanjar equalizes

It wasn’t long before Al-Sadd took the lead in the match. In the 13th minute, Xavi scored for the Wolves, with a free kick that made it 1-0. The reply from Al-Sailiya was quick. Three minutes later, Sanjar exploited a defensive mistake and scored the equalizer past Saad Al-Dosari.

Chances to score

The Wolves began pushing forward in search of a goal and applied pressure on the Al-Sailiya goal. Many chances came their way but the attack did not deal with them properly and they went to waste. In the 26th minute, Abdelkarim Hassan dribbled down the left after picking up a through ball from Hamroun and then send in a cross which was met by Ali Asad but the keeper Gomis kept it out. Xavi then had an attempt from outside the box but the ball went over the crossbar.

Al-Sadd intensifies pressure

Al-Sadd increased the pressure on the Al-Sailiya goal and the opponent was reduced to the back foot and playing on the counter through the duo of Sanjar and Lazar. In the 43rd minute, Xavi snet in a cross that was met by a header from Ibrahim Majid, which was deflected out for a corner. The referee then blew the whistle for halftime, with the score at 1-1.

Al-Sadd begin second half with no changes

In the second half, Al-Sadd kicked off without any changes in personnel and the team continued to play in the same way, applying pressure on the opponent’s defence. The attempts came from the wings and also from the centre, with Al-Sadd coming close on a number of occasions. In the 62nd minute, Hamroun’s shot from distance went slightly over the crossbar.

Hamza replaces Kasola; Al-Sailiya score a second goal

Al-Sadd made their first substitution in the 64th minute, bringing on Hamza Al-Sanhaji in place of Mohamed Kasola, in order to increase the offensive force. In the 71st minute, Al-Sailiya shocked Al-Sadd with a goal against the run of play. After a counter attack, Valentin Lazar picked up the ball and sent a shot in to the right of Al-Sadd keeper Al-Dosari, to make the score 2-1 in favour of Al-Sailiya.

Bounedjah equalizes

Algerian striker Bounedjah was the one who got Al-Sadd back on level terms. In the 83rd minute, he dispatched a penalty that had been awarded for a foul on Pedro by Ghanem Al-Qahtan, who was sent off for the offence. In the 86th minute, Hamza had a golden opportunity to score but his strike off a pass from Hamroun went high and over the crossbar.

6 minutes of additional time

The referee Davide Massa signalled for 6 minutes of additional time at the end of normal time. Al-Sadd kept up the pressure and the search for a winning goal during these minutes but failed to get it. Ibrahim Majid had a great chance but his header went wide of the left post. The referee then went on to signal for full time, with Al-Sadd left to contend with a 2-2 draw.

MATCH DETAILS

Al-Sadd x Al-Sailiya (QSL Round 25)

Venue:

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium

Lineups:

Al-Sadd: Saad Al-Dosari, Pedro, Ibrahim Majid, Morteza Pouraliganji, Abdelkarim Hassan, Mohamed Kasola (Hamza Al-Sanhaji), Xavi, Ali Asad, Hassan Al-Haydos, Jugurtha Hamroun and Baghdad Bounedjah

Al-Sailiya: Gergory Gomis, Mohammed Mudather (Ali Alob), Mustafa Mohammed, Ghanem Al-Qahtani, Mohammed Al-Alawi, Temurkhuja, Mirghani Al-Zain, Hamad Al-Abaidi, Sanjar Shaakhmedov, Wagner Renar, Valentin Lazar

Result:

2-2

Goals:

Xavi Hernandez 13′

Sanjar Shaakhmedov 16′

Valentin Lazar 71′

Baghdad Bounedjah 83′ (P)

Bookings:

Mohammed Mudather 39′

Hamad Al-Abaidi 50′

Mustafa Mohammed 53′

Baghdad Bounedjah 75′

Ghanem Al-Qahtani 82′ (Red card)

Referees:

Davide Massa (Main referee)

Mauro Tonolini (Linesman)

Alessandro Constanzo (Linesman)

Taleb Salem (Fourth official)

Fahad Jaber (Additional)

Abdulla Al-Athba (Additional)