Al Rayyan came out on top during an eight-goal fiesta, winning 5-3 against Al Shamal in Week 21 of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League at Al Khor Stadium on Friday.

Roger Guedes scored a hat-trick (42nd, 86th and 90+15 minutes) and Julien de Sart one (eighth minute) while Omid Ebrahimi scored an own goal in 57th minute as Al Rayyan extended their points tally to 30 points, while Al Shamal, who got their goals through Baghdad Bounedjah (18th minute penalty), Naim Sliti (34th minute) and Omar Ali (53rd minute), remained on 29 points.

Al Rayyan got the opener within eight minutes of play through De Sart, whose right-footed shot from the centre of the box sailed straight into the bottom left corner of Al Shamal’s goal.

Unperturbed by the development, Al Shamal went in search of an equalizer as they piled up relentless pressure on their opponents, and their efforts eventually paid off in the 14th minute when they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Bounedjah by Sami Habib.

Algerian international Bounedjah wasted no time in converting from the spot in the 18th minute as parity was restored between the two sides.

Al Shamal took the lead in the 34th minute through Sliti, who scored a brilliant and delightful outside-the-box goal from a corner kick by Younes Belhanda to the delight of their vociferous supporters.

The lead, however, lasted only eight minutes, as The Lions got the equalizer through Guedes, who poked in the rebound from a powerful shot by Adam Gamarra to ensure that there was no victor nor vanquished going into the half-time break.

Bounedjah almost restored the lead for Al Shamal two minutes into the second half, but his right-footed shot from outside the box went just inches wide. Omar Ali hit the target in the 53rd minute with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box before an own goal from Ebrahimi restored parity for Al Rayyan as the ding-dong affair between the two sides seemed to continue.

With the match appearing to be heading to a stalemate, Al Rayyan once again took the lead through Guedes with four minutes left in regulation time before Guedes extended the lead in added time to ensure a 5-3 win for the visitors.