Al-Sadd won the “Clasico” of the Qatari ball against Al-Rayyan, with a 2-0 victory, in a match that took place today at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, for the 20th round of the QNB Stars League.
Rodrigo Tabata gave Al Sadd the lead in the 70th minute, before Algerian national team striker Baghdad Bounedjah doubled the score in the 90 + 7 minute, bringing Al Sadd to its thirteenth victory this season, raising its tally to 41 points, two points behind the runner-up Al-Arabi, who meets tomorrow (Saturday). With Al-Wakra, and 4 points from leaders Al-Duhail, who will face Umm Salal tomorrow.
As for Al Rayyan, it suffered its 11th defeat this season, stopping its score at 17 points, temporarily in ninth place. As for the course of the match, it was a good technical level on both sides, with a relative advantage in favor of Al Sadd, which was the most effective in its front lines, while Al Rayyan succeeded in closing its back areas by relying on a numerical increase and an organized defensive position led by the Japanese professional Shogo Taniguchi, which deprived Bounjah’s colleagues. From penetrating the last third of their opponent’s stadium, and forming a direct threat to goalkeeper Avanildo Rodriguez. Al Rayyan’s most dangerous attempt came against goalkeeper Meshaal Barshim by Chilean Jesus Vargas, who fired a ball from outside the area, which Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barshim caught twice.
Akram Afif almost gave Al Sadd the lead after he found himself in an ideal position to shoot from outside the area, but he hit a powerful ball that was blocked by the left post of goalkeeper Avanildo Rodriguez in the 37th minute, so the result remained the same until the end of the first half. In the second half, the desire of the two teams to break the negative tie appeared, and each of them showed offensive audacity in search of scoring, but Al Rayyan received a painful blow when its player Stefan Nzonzi left due to the injury, and was replaced by Abdulaziz Hatem.
Al-Sadd goalkeeper Mishaal Barshim stood in the face of several attempts by Al-Rayyan players, the most prominent of which was his save by the former French player of Angers, the Moroccan international Sofiane Boufal, in the 61st minute.
And with the advent of the 70th minute, former Al Rayyan player Rodrigo Tabata gave Al Sadd the lead when the ball reached him inside the small square from his Algerian colleague Baghdad Bounedjah, to follow the ball cleverly into the net, after which Al Rayyan completed the last ten minutes with ten players after player Mohamed Ayash was sent off after receiving the second yellow card.
The 86th minute almost declared a tie in favor of Al Rayyan, but Ivorian Johan Boley missed a chance in a strange way, after he hit the ball with the body of Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barshim, before the same player returned to miss another opportunity to adjust the score, but Al Sadd’s defense saved the situation. In the midst of Al-Rayyan’s preoccupation with attempts to adjust the balance, the Algerian Baghdad Bounedjah managed to double the score for Al-Sadd from a quick counterattack in the alternative time, to end the match with an important victory for the defending champion.
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