QSL side Lekhwiya lifted the first piece of silverware of the domestic season on Monday night lifting the Sheikh Jassim cup following a 2-0 victory over rivals Al Rayyan at Al Sadd stadium. The tie, which is seen a traditional curtain raiser to domestic football in Qatar was a feisty affair, which saw Al Rayyan midfielder Ulises Pascua dismissed on the 88^th minute.

Lekhwiya opened the scoring early as the 5^th minute summer signing Yusef El Arabi pounced on defensive uncertainty and slotted from just yards out following a Nam Tae Hee corner.  Al Rayyan began their fightback in earnest with Qatari international Sebastian Soria the closest to equalize for the Lions, the first half ended 1-0 in favor of Lekhwiya.

The second half saw a raft of attacking changes from both managers, who are looking to fine tune their respective side ahead of the new QSL season on the 15^th of September. Again, it was Al Rayyan pushing for an equalizer with Lekhwiya looking to take the reigning QSL champions on the break.

The tie swung in favor of Lekhwiya on the 88^th minute when Pascua was shown a straight red card for his attempt to stop Lekhwiya midfielder Ismael Mohammed, who was bearing down on the Rayyan goal.

The Red Knights made their numerical advantage count in stoppage time to grab the winner. Midfielder Luis Matron’s powerful free kick had Rayyan keeper Saud Al Hajiri beaten, but the ball struck the woodwork. Ismael Mohammed was on hand to tap in the rebound and ensure that Lekhwiya head into the QSL season in the best possible form.