The 2021-2022 QNB Stars League Week 8 fixtures, held on 30th and 31st October, saw as many as 16 goals being scored and one of the six games end in a draw as Al Sailiya drew 0-0 with Umm Salal.

THE RESULTS

Al Duhail bt Qatar SC   2-1

Al Shamal bt Al Khor    4-0

Al Arabi bt Al Rayyan  2-1

Al Sadd bt Al Ahli          4-1

Al Sailiya drew Umm Salal     0-0

Al Gharafa lost to Al Wakrah 0-1

Al Sadd continued their strong performance by achieving their eighth victory in a row, thus gearing up for their big encounter against strong title contenders Al Duhail in Week 9.

Al Duhail too continued to win even as Al Gharafa stumbled.

Al Shamal were the most beneficiaries of this round, as they moved up from 11th to seventh place by beating Al Khor, who dropped from 10th to bottom place. Qatar SC slipped from seventh to ninth.

Umm Salal, Al Ahli and Al Khor are still the only teams looking for their first win.

Al Duhail’s Kenyan striker Michael Olunga and Al Sadd’s Algerian spearhead Baghdad Bounedjah are jointly topping the scorers’ list with 10 goals.

In the first match, Al Duhail beat Qatar SC 2-1 at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Saturday. Qatar SC opened the scoring through Javi Martnez in the 15th minute. Al Duhail struck back through Nam Tae-Hee (38th minute) and Michael Olunga (46th minute).

Al Duhail took their points tally to 21 and stood in the second position with their seventh victory. Qatar SC stood on six points following their fourth defeat.

In the second match, promoted Al Shamal made it big by blanking Al Khor 4-0 at the Al Arabi Stadium on Saturday, with goals coming from Jeison Escobar (36th and 54th minutes) and captain Bahaa Faisal (48th and 58th minutes).

It was Al Shamal’s second win this season and they moved up from 11th to seventh position with seven points. Al Khor remained on four points.

In the third match, Al Arabi defeated Al Rayyan 2-1 in a thriller at the Al Arabi Stadium on Saturday.

Farshid Esmaelli (48th minute) and Abdulrahman Mohammed (54th minute) scored for Al Arabi, while Yohan Boli (69th minute) scored Al Rayyan’s goal.

It was Al Arabi’s fifth win of the season and it took their points to 16 as they remained in the third place. Al Rayyan lost for a third time and stood on nine points, but kept the sixth position.

In the fourth match, holders Al Sadd beat Al Ahli 4-1 at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Saturday. Hassan Al Haydous (25th minute) Baghdad Bounedjah (54th and 85th-minute penalty) and Andrew Ayew (79th-minute penalty) scored the goals for Al Sadd, while Al Ahli’s only goal was scored by Patrick Eze through a penalty in the 68th minute.

Leaders Al Sadd raised their tally to 24 points following their eighth victory with an all-win record, the only team to do so thus far.

Al Ahli’s wait for their first victory thus continued and they remained on five points after suffering their third defeat besides losing ground in the table by two places to 10th spot.

In the fifth match, Al Sailiya and Umm Salal played out a 0-0 draw at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Sunday. Al Sailiya (last to 11th place) and Umm Salal (ninth to eighth position) moved on to five and six points respectively.

In the sixth match, Al Wakrah defeated Al Gharafa 1-0 at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Sunday, with substitute Abdulghani Muneer netting the winner in the 66th minute.

Al Wakrah and Al Gharafa thus kept the fourth and fifth position with 15 and 12 points respectively.

It was Al Wakrah’s fourth victory and Al Gharafa’s fourth defeat.

The 2021-2022 QNB Stars League’s Week 9 matches are to be played on 3rd and 4th November, 2021, with three games on each day.

WEEK 9 FIXTURES

Wednesday, 3rd November

Al Ahli vs Al Shamal

Al Rayyan vs Al Gharafa

Al Duhail vs Al Sadd

Thursday, 4th November

Qatar SC vs Al Sailiya

Al Khor vs Al Arabi

Al Wakrah vs Umm Salal