QNB Stars League: Al-Sadd maintain perfect record with 2-1 win over Umm Salal

Al-Sadd kept up their perfect record in the 2019-20 QNB Stars League after registering their third straight victory with a 2-1 win over Umm Salal in the Round 4 game played at Al Janoub Stadium on Friday.

All the goals came in the first half. Umm Salal took the lead early on through Sagbo before Akram Afif equalised for Al-Sadd. Baghdad Bounedjah then scored from the penalty spot to give Al-Sadd a 2-1 lead, which the Wolves mantained for the rest of the match. The result means that Al-Sadd stay in third position in the league table, with nine points from three games and a postponed game against Al-Sailiya yet to be played.

The match got off to a competitive start and Umm Salal pounced on a defensive error to find the breakthrough in the ninth minute. Salem Al-Hajri lost possession in the box to Mahmoud Al Mawas, who squared the ball across to Sagbo to finish. The ball took a deflection off Saad Al-Dosari as it went in, giving Umm Salal a 1-0 lead.

Al-Sadd bounced back after the goal, showing their desire with a series of forays forward. In one such move, Hassan Al-Haydos lobbed the ball over the Umm Salal defence for Akram Afif to volley in past Yazan Naim to equalise in the 19th minute.

In the 34th minute, Bounedjah put Al-Sadd ahead after dispatching a penalty, which had been awarded for a foul on him by Umm Salal defender Adel Rhaili. The first half thus went on to end with Al-Sadd leading 2-1.

Both teams looked to score when the second half kicked off, with Al-Sadd pushing forward in numbers while Umm Salal focused on defensive solidity and counter attacks.

Al-Sadd had a good chance in the 53rd minute, when Ali Asad exchanged passes with Afif before taking his shot inside the box, only for the ball to get deflected for a corner.

Xavi then decided to bring on Nam Tae-hee in Ali Asad’s place in the 64th minute, with an aim of energizing the attack. Bounedjah had a go at goal in the 68th minute but his shot went wide of the post. Youngster Hashim Ali was then withdrawn in the 70th minute and replaced by Jung Woo-young.

The Wolves maintained their control over the game late into the second half, attempting attacking moves from the deep and from the wings but the Umm Salal defence thwarted them on each occasion. Hassan Al-Haydos sent in a great cross for Bounedjah but the Algerian’s header was kept out by Yazan Naim’s reflex save. Woo-young then had a chance from a late free-kick on the edge of the box, but his curling effort went wide.

MATCH DETAILS:

Al-Sadd x Umm Salal (2019-20 QNB Stars League Round 4)

VENUE:

Al-Janoub Stadium

LINEUPS:

Al-Sadd: Saad Al Dosari, Hamid Ismail, Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan (Yasir Abubakar), Salem Al-Hajri, Gabi, Ali Asad (Nam Tae-hee), Hashim Ali (Jung Woo-young), Hassan Al-Haydos, Baghdad Bounedjah, Akram Afif

Umm Salal: Yazan Naim, Murad Naji, Abdulrahman Abkar, Adel Rhaili, Joao Victor, Victor Vasquez, Anas Mubarak, Mahmoud Al Mawas, Omar Yahya (Hazem Shehata), Jaser Yahya, Yannick Sagbo

RESULT:

Al-Sadd won 2-1

GOALS:

Yannick Sagbo 9′
Akram Afif 19′
Baghdad Bounedjah 34′ (PEN)

REFEREES:

Match referee: Mohammed Al-Shammari
Linesman 1: Saoud Ahmed
Linesman 2: Majed Haders
Fourth official: Mutasim Ahmed