Al Duhail’s dominant 4-0 win was a performance to remember but Al Ahli’s win over Gharafa was equally as good from the second gameweek of the Ooredoo Stars League.
Almoez Ali put on his scoring boots with a brace as Al Duhail trounced last season’s runners up Al Rayyan 4-0, starting the season with two consecutive wins.
Ali doubled the lead early in the second half after Edmilson Junior had put Christophe Galtier’s side in the lead in the 19th minute.
Quickly getting on a lofted ball, the Qatari forward ran from the middle of the opponent’s half and beat two defenders to score his first of the season.
His second came in the 77th minute, heading a corner from Duhail’s premium signing Luis Alberto, sandwiching Andre Amaro’s own goal that came 12 minutes earlier.
Ali scored seven times in 19 appearances last season, a sub-par performance by his lofty standards set more so by his performances with the national team.
Al Duhail opened the new season with a massive win over Qatar SC and now sits comfortably at the top of the table.
Al Ahli stun Al Gharafa with resolute defending
In what will be remembered as one of this season’s better defensive shows, Al Ahli hung on to Sekou Yansane’s 16th-minute strike to defeat Al Gharafa on Sunday.
Led by former Liverpool midfielder Igor Biscan, Ahli put on an inspired and organised display at the back to thwart the star studded Gharafa forward line in Al Thumama Stadium.
Despite getting at the end of a few chances, former Real Madrid forward Joselu failed yet again to score his first goal in the Qatari league as Gharafa registered 19 shots and seven of them hit the target.
On the flip side, Ahli scored with just two shots on target out of four attempts overall and saw less of the ball throughout the evening.
The draw puts Al Ahli in the second spot as Al Gharafa lies second to last, yet to register a win in the new league season, looking like a side still left to trim the edges.
Al Sadd bounce back with a resounding performance
Defending champions Al Sadd thumped Qatar SC 5-1, in a performance that meant more than just a win, serving as a confidence booster for a side working to get on the wheels under a new coach.
Former Barcelona youth forward Rafa Mujica struck just two minutes on the clock, meeting Abdullah Alyazidi’s pass after a clever free-kick routine with a classic striker’s finish.
The lead was cut short by fellow Spaniard Javi Martinez of Qatar SC, who scored at the far post after Al Sadd’s keeper Meshaal Barsham failed to clear an incoming corner.
Al Sadd had to wait until the start of the second half to break the deadlock, but it came through the best of strikes from Mohammed Waad.
Waad pulled off a top-corner finish from almost 30 yards out of the post that left goalkeeper Motasem Al Bustami helpless, even with the widest of stretches.
Boualem Khoukhi then put Al Sadd in the driving seat seven minutes later and it was Mujica’s goal two minutes ahead of regular time that all but sealed the tie.
An own goal in the fifth minute of added time then came as a bonus for Felix Sanchez’s side as they leapt off to the third place in the points table.
Bounedjah continues to fire but Umm Salal get better of Al Shamal
Baghdad Bounedjah’s goals in the dying minutes were not enough for Al Shamal to steal a point at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday as Umm Salal escaped with a 3-2 win.
A brace from Victor Lekhal, goals coming in the 7th and the 27th minute, put Umm Salal in a comfortable position and Antonio Mance added the third goal a minute into the second half.
Al Shamal were denied a penalty by VAR in the 67th minute, but were ultimately awarded one in the 81st minute and Bounedjah scored from the spot to make it 3-1.
The Algerian striker then scored in the seventh minute of added time – a bit too late for Shamal’s liking – to establish an early lead in the top scorer’s list with four goals, followed by Al Duhail’s Michael Olunga.
Al Arabi and Al Wakrah settle for a draw alongside promoted sides
Syrian striker Omar Al Somah’s header in the 77th minute against Al Wakrah made sure Al Arabi walked out with a point, yet was not enough to separate the sides on Saturday.
Al Wakrah struck first with Brazil-born Qatari defender Lucas Mendez’s header twenty minutes before Somah struck at the Al Thumama Stadium.
Both Al Wakrah and Al Arabi now have two points and are yet to clinch a win in the new season.
Promotion winners Al Khor and Al Shahnia also played their second draw of the campaign settling for a goalless stalemate on Sunday at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Despite a desperate late push from Al Khor to dominate their opponents, Al Shahania looked comfortable and were denied a penalty by the VAR in the 50th minute.
Both Al Khor and Al Shahania sit above Al Gharafa and Qatar SC as the latter remains the only side yet to register a point.
Player of the Week: Almoez Ali (Al Duhail)
Almoez Ali takes the cake this week with his two goals against Al Rayyan.
The Duhail captain flowed brilliantly and led the attack with confidence, getting behind chances created by the midfield and scoring when needed for his side.
Honorable mention: Baghdad Bounedjah’s brace (second week running, yes)
Goal of the Week: Mohammed Waad (Al Sadd)
Mohammed Waad’s strike from almost 30 yards was, literally, a net buster. His ability to shoot at the top corner after spotting the space from the left was impressive, but the execution was even better.
