Al Ahli and Al Gharafa played out a 3-3 draw in a dramatic Week 5 match of the 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League at the Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday.

The charged-up clash saw some frenzy scenes and three red cards being flashed as Al Gharafa rallied to level scores from being 1-2 down in the second half.

While Saifeldeen Fadlalla (23rd minute), Ishaq Belfodil (85th minute) and Yacine Brahimi (90+1 penalty) scored for Al Gharafa, Ali Qaderi (38th minute), Sofiane Hanni (40th minute) and Hossein Kanaani (61st minute) found the target for Al Ahli.

With either side keen on a win, the match began at a brisk pace and in the very first minute Al Gharafa goalkeeper Qasem Burhan had to make a good save.

Al Gharafa then seized the initiative and soon Belfodil’s header sailed over the rival goal.

Then came a superb move from Al Gharafa as Brahimi moved the ball to Belfodil whose kick got deflected off the goalkeeper’s hands and rolled to Fadlalla on the left to put the ball into the net.

Soon, reduced to 10 men, Al Gharafa suffered the first reversal as Al Ahli scored. A Sofiane Hanni free-kick broke past the wall and a waiting Ali Qaderi slammed in to equalise.

Minutes later, Hanni returned and after a fine dribble inside the box scored the second goal to give Al Ahli the lead.

The second half saw Al Gharafa make several raids on the Al Ahli goal, but could not succeed.

A resurgent Al Ahli then struck another telling blow as Kanaani scored a thrilling goal striking from a free-kick and going through the gap in the wall to find the far right corner of the net.

At 1-3, hopes for Al Gharafa seemed dim, but led by their livewire captain Brahimi, they made a late comeback.

In the 85th minute, Brahimi made a move off a free-kick taken just outside of the left box and in a goal-mouth melee the ball landed with Belfodil, who calmly did the needful to make it 2-3.

The contest grew more hot as players jostled for the ball.

Towards the end, Al Ahli’s Mohammed Abdullah Al Ishaq was pulled up for elbowing Kanaani while going for a header. The penalty also provided Al Gharafa the big chance and Brahimi scored to draw parity at 3-3.

Al Ahli and Al Gharafa both are now on eight points.

Red cards were shown to Islom Tukhtakhuzhaev of Al Gharafa (36th minute), and to Shojae Khalilzadeh (87th minute) and Al Ishaq (89th minute) of Al Ahli for rough tackles and foul play.

Al Gharafa coach Andrea Stramaccioni too was red-carded following flared tempers between players on the sideline in the 77th minute.