Doha: Trust a champion side like Al Sadd to deliver the goods when the going is good. Former champions and arguably the strongest football side in the country, Al Saad yesterday crushed Al Arabi 4-1 in their Round 6 clash of the QNB Stars League at the Grand Hamad Stadium.
Two goals on either side of the two halves powered Al Sadd to their fifth win of the season.
Yesterday’s resounding win has taken Al Sadd - coached by Barca legend Xavi - to the top of the points table with a tally of 16. Al Ahli are in second place with 15 points from six rounds.
For Al Sadd, Baghdad Bounedjah (12), Santiago Cazorla (30), AbdelKarim Hassan (61) and Rodrigo Tabata (81) scored the goals as the Wolves picked up three points whereas Al Arabi, coached by Heimir Hallgrimsson, failed to add to their five points from six matches.
Al Sadd exhibited a fast attacking from the get-go and delivered a commanding show that delighted defender Hassan.
“It was a positive outing for us. We played well and with good speed,” Hassan said after the match.
“The team gelled well for most part and I am sure we can get better,” he added.
Iceland’s Aron Einar Malmquist scored the only goal for Al Arabi off a deflected free-kick in the 74th minute.
In just the third minute, Al Sadd star Akram Afif went long-range on a shot some 10 meters away from the edge of Al Arabi box. The swinging shot got deflected off the shoulder of Al Arabi skipper Ahmed Fathi Abdoulla and went high before dipping over the crossbar.
Five minutes later, Al Sadd captain Hassan Al Haydos also got into the act as he curled a cleverly taken free-kick that narrowly missed its target as Al Sadd started picking up momentum with their attacks.
In the 12th minute, Algerian star Bounedjah completed a slick low cross from Hassan with a slick header that sent the ball into the net with Al Arabi keeper Mahmoud Abunada unable to block the shot. It was Bounedjah’s third goal of the new season.
Two minutes later, defender Hassan swiveled inside the Al Arabi box but his shot from close range was blocked by keeper Abunada – who had charged out of his position – just a few feet away from the goalline.
Moments later, Al Arabi found a breakthrough from relentless Al Sadd attacks and created a slight flutter when ageless Sebastian Soria slipped in a low cross to Ahmed Fathi Abdoulla who could not control his deflection from close range sending the ball away from the target.
In the 24th minute, veteran striker Soria produced a classic header on a loopy corner kick but his deflection was timely saved by keeper Meshaal Aissa Barsham.
Exactly at the half-hour mark, attacking Al Sadd went 2-0 up. Al Haydos - unable to find space at the corner of Al Arabi box - tapped the ball to defender Hassan who produced fast speed from the right before clipping in a pass to Cazorla, the former Arsenal player.
Cazorla volleyed home from a few feet into Al Arabi box on first attempt to celebrate his fifth goal of the season.
In the 61st minute, Afif found Hassan ready to charge into the Al Arabi box after covering a short distance from the right flank. Hassan picked up the short cross and tapped the ball over keeper Abunada who had charged out of his position.
Icelandic star Aron, 31, reduced the deficit in the 74th minute when his free-kick was deflected into the net by Tabata who later produced a brilliant direct free-kick for Al Sadd’s fourth goal in the 81st minute.
