Al Duhail beat Al Gharafa 3-1 in Week 3 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Khalifa International Stadium on Wednesday.

A first-half goal by captain Almoez Ali (28th minute, penalty) and a double by Abdelrahman Mohammed (54th and 67th minutes) powered Al Duhail to an impressive win.

Ahmed Alaaeldin (59th minute, penalty) scored the only goal for Al Gharafa.

In a match of mostly short passes, Al Gharafa captain Muyad Hassan scored from close range – following a short cross from the edge of the box - but the effort was ruled offside.

Seven minutes later, Al Duhail’s Ismail Mohammed had little open space to work with following a surge from the left flank, but his shot from inside the Al Gharafa box went sailing past the goalpost to the keeper’s left.

Al Gharafa’s Mehdi Tahrat, following a short dribble past an Al Duhail player, reached the edge of the box and then fired a shot at the goal. Al Duhail keeper Salah Zakaria stayed low to pouch the ball and spike the threatening move in the 21st minute.

In the 23rd minute, drama unfolded as a goal by Al Gharafa was disallowed, but Al Duhail scored one a few seconds later.

Sofiane Hanni – following a cross from Nasser Al Ahrak - fired a long-range shot that crashed into the Al Duhail net. But the referee – instead of allowing the goal   – stopped play to seek VAR assistance to check on a possible hand ball infringement just a few seconds earlier inside the Al Gharafa box by Ahmed Alaaeldin.

Referee Salman Falahi – after a quick VAR review – ruled a penalty in favour of Al Duhail and star striker Almoez easily converted it. A few seconds later, Alaaeldin fired a bullet from the edge of the box, but the Al Duhail goalkeeper blocked the shot.

A minute later, Almoez produced a superb header from close range, but his deflection narrowly missed the crossbar. Just before the first-half whistle, Abdelrahman fired a left-footed drive from the edge of Al Gharafa box, but his shot sailed past the goalpost to the right of keeper Yousef Hassan.

Nine minutes into the second half, Al Duhail doubled their lead. An unmarked Abdelrahman clipped the ball into an empty net from close range following a cross from Al Ahrak from the touchline after a solo run from the flank.

After the second goal, Luiz Martin brought down Othman Al Yahri with a tackle just inside the Al Duhail box and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Alaaeldin easily converted the penalty kick a minute short of the hour-mark.

Abdelrahman then added the third goal for Al Duhail deflecting an easy ball into the open net following a cross from Ferjani Sassi.