Al Sadd defeated Al Markhiya 5-0 in Week 8 of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium of Al Sadd club on Thursday.

All goals came in the first half. Akram Afif took his goal tally to nine after finding the net four times, in the 16th, 20th, 42nd and 45+2 minutes, after Baghdad Bounedjah had opened the floodgate of goals in the 12th minute for The Wolves.

With the result, Al Sadd, who still have a game at hand after missing Week 6 due to continental engagements, maintained their lead in the standings with 19 points, while Al Markhiya lag at the bottom of the table with three points from just one win in the eight fixtures played so far in the season.

The game started with Al Sadd dominating the proceedings as expected, and the Wolves could have recorded their first goal as early as the second minute after Bounedjah tried a through ball that Afif poked in, but the goal was overturned after a VAR review due to Afif being adjudged to have been caught offside.

The league leaders did not need to wait too long for their opening goal, with Bounedjah finding the net in the 12th minute with a thumping header from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal from a cross by Paulo Otavio.

Four minutes later, Afif doubled the lead for Al Sadd with a right-footed shot from the left side of the box to the centre of the goal from a Gonzalo Plata assist.

With two goals up, Bruno Miguel’s team continued to pile pressure on Al Markhiya defence and it was not surprising to see Afif hit his brace of the night in the 20th minute with another right-footed shot, this time from 20 yards out after collecting a well-measured pass from Guilherme that located the bottom left corner of goalkeeper Mohamed Abdallah’s net.

Afif bagged his hat-trick in the 42nd minute, again with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner after Guilherme had outfoxed Al Markhiya’s defence before sliding a pass to a well-positioned Afif.

Al Markhiya’s woes were further compounded two minutes into injury time when Afif got his fourth of the night and the fifth for Al Sadd, after overlapping from the left of their opponents’ 18-yard box to receive a through ball from Mohammed Waad which ended in the bottom right corner of Al Markhiya’s goal. The goal was initially subjected to a VAR check and, after a lengthy review, it was sustained.

The Wolves continued from where they stopped in the second half and they almost bagged their sixth in the 49th minute through Mohammed Waad, but his left-footed shot from outside the box was saved in the bottom left corner.

With the match coming to a close, Al Sadd shifted to third gear as they took things in stride, knowing fully well that the job had been done.