Lekhwiya outclass El Jaish 2-1

 

 

Lekhwiya cut down El Jaish’s lead at the top of the QSL table with a narrow 2-1 win over their rivals in a top of the table game on Tuesday evening. The first half saw few chances exchaged, but opened up in the second half. Two deflected goals gave Lekhwiya the win, in what will be a tough result to take for Sabri Lamouchi

 

 

The first half was a cagey affair with both sides sizing each other up in the opening exchanges. Lekhhwiya registered their first chance of the tie with twenty minutes on the clock. Winger Ismael Mohammed picked out Ali Afif, however his curled effort flew just wide. 

 

Djamel Belmadi’s side slowly begun to ramp up the pressure on their table topping rivals and began to dominate the play as the first half progressed. The closest Lekhwiya came to a goal in the opening half fell on the thirty third minute. The lively Mohammed Ismael was denied on the line by Jaish defender Lucas Mendes who put his body on the line to deny Lekhwiya the opening goal. 

 

Lekhiwya where limited to few chances by Jaish in the opening half, however they did manage one more chance before the break. Lekhwiya midfielder Luiz Martin found striker Yusef El Arabi and was promptly pounched on by Saoud Al Khater.

 

The second half was again a tight affair, however Lekhwiya fortuitously  took the lead with the game heading into the final twenty minutes. Substitute Yusef Msakni was picked out on the right hand side. The Tunisian international unleashed a shot from the left hand side which bounced of Lucas Mendes and into the back of the net. 

Jaish didn't waste any time and promptly found their way back into the tie two minutes later.  Star striker Romarinho struck his eleventh goal of the season, the QSL player of the month for November skipped by a static Chico Flores and drilled a low shot into the back of the net to pull Sabri Lamouchi’s side back into the game. 

 

The once tight and tetchy game opened out with both sides looking for the vital win. Fortune favoured Lekhwiya and they grabbed a winner on the eightieth minute. Substitute Moez Ali shot pinballed off two Jaish defenders and found its way into the back of the net on the rebound. 

 

The win means that El Jaish’s lead at the top of the QSL standings has now been cut down to one point, with Lekhwiya hot on the heels of their rivals.