The Emirati team proved too good for the Qatari side that has struggled domestically this season.
Qatar SC suffered a crushing defeat away to UAE’s Al Nasr, as last season’s Amir Cup finalists missed out on what could have been a fairytale Qatar-UAE triumph.
Seasoned Emirati forward Ali Mabkhout rose to the occasion in Al Nasr’s 5-1 win, opening the scoring and eventually completing his brace to set the tone in Dubai’s Al-Maktoum Stadium.
Manolo Gabbiadini’s goal came in the added minutes before the break, followed by late goals in the second half from Abdoulaye Toure and Ahmed Jashak.
Jashak’s penalty and Toure’s goal came with less than 10 minutes from full time. Mabkhout had scored his second in the 71st minute, having been on the scoresheet as early as in the 13th minute earlier.
Qatar SC’s consolation goal came via Ben Malango, three minutes after Mabkhout’s brace.
It was a reality check for the Qatari club in more ways than one, as the defeat highlighted several factors that were emblematic of their season so far.
Youssef Safri’s side are 11th in the Ooredoo Stars League so far this season, heading towards the relegation playoff as things stand.
A win in this match could have marked the beginning of a potential comeback, with hopes pinned on newly acquired South African forward Percy Tau, who made his debut on Friday.
However, the game unfolded exactly as Safri had feared in his pre-match comments.
“This will undoubtedly be a challenging game,” Safri said before kickoff. “They have quality players, especially in midfield.”
A late run into the box led to a shot that opened the floodgates for Al Nasr, with Mabkhout scoring off the rebound just 13 minutes in. While Qatar SC had occasional chances, their lack of sharpness in attack and vulnerability at the back allowed the hosts to strike again.
Mabkhout was at the right place once again in perhaps the second half’s most decisive moment. The veteran forward met Abdulla Al-Baloosh’s cross from close range to make it 3-0 and complete his brace on the night.
Despite Qatar SC’s push to somehow salvage a result that led to 20 shots in total on the home side’s goal, Schreuder’s side looked comfortable enough and soon translated to yet to Toure’s goal in the 81st minute.
The long night continued for Qatari goalkeeper Abdulanser, who conceded a penalty that led to Jashak calmly converted to seal the Qatar-UAE Super Cup win for Al Nasr.
With two losses for Qatari clubs in the bilateral tournament, all eyes will now be on champions Al Sadd, who face Al Wasl tomorrow at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.