The Week 5 matches in the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League witnessed lots of excitement and change in the positions of some clubs, as Al Sadd topped the table, Al Rayyan fell to second place and Al Wakrah advanced to third place. Al Duhail are in fourth place, while Al Gharafa dropped to fifth place after their loss.

Al Ahli managed to score their first win of the season. Al Arabi also recorded their first victory by prevailing over Qatar SC. Meanwhile, Al Markhiya currently occupy the last spot in the standings.

Al Wakrah and Al Sadd maintained their unbeaten run, while Al Shamal, Qatar SC and Al Markhiya are still without a victory.

A total of 23 goals were scored, with Al Sadd recording the largest goal margin (4-0) against Al Gharafa.

The Al Ahli vs Muaither match also witnessed a total of six goals (4-2). Al Sadd and Al Arabi, meanwhile, emerged with a clean sheet.

All six matches held on Thursday and Friday, September 28 and 29, ended in outright victories, as there were no draws.

RESULTS

Al Sadd bt Al Gharafa                4-0

Al Markhiya lost to Al Duhail   1-2

Al Arabi bt Qatar SC         1-0

Al Wakrah bt Al Rayyan  3-2

Al Shamal lost to Umm Salal     1-3

Al Ahli bt Muaither  4-2

The opening match of the round featured a face-off between Al Sadd and Al Gharafa, a highly anticipated encounter that lived up to its expectations with a significant attendance of supporters from both clubs.

Al Sadd demonstrated exceptional performance in their recent match, despite the notable absences within their team. They emerged victorious with a remarkable 4-0 score, with Akram Afif and Hassan Al Haydous scoring, while Ali Asad registered a brace. Al Gharafa player Lyanco Vojnovic received a red card in the 90th minute.

Following their triumph, Al Sadd ascended to the summit of the standings, amassing a total of 13 points from four victories and one draw. This accomplishment was facilitated by Al Rayyan’s unfortunate defeat to Al Wakrah, who conceded three goals while managing to score only two. The Wolves have unequivocally demonstrated their prowess as a formidable contender for the championship this season, owing to their cohesive and formidable roster.

Omar Al Somah led Al Arabi to their first victory this season by scoring the winning goal against Qatar SC at the Al Thumama Stadium.

Al Arabi coach Younes Ali succeeded in taking the team to winning ways after losing to Al Rayyan in the fourth round. Qatar SC, on the other hand, kept dropping points.

While Al Arabi rose to seventh place with six points, Qatar SC fell to 11th place, one place away from the bottom of the table, with two points.

Al Duhail emerged victorious over Al Markhiya with a 2-1 margin, albeit with considerable difficulty. The match was characterized by a series of missed opportunities, particularly on the part of Al Markhiya’s Joao Teixeira, who failed to capitalize on multiple chances.

The game marked the league debut of renowned Brazilian player Philippe Coutinho, who not only managed to secure the winning goal but also instigated the penalty kick that led to Michael Olunga’s opening goal. Al Duhail thus climbed to fourth place with a total of 10 points, thereby compensating for their defeat in the fourth round to Al Gharafa. Al Markhiya remained without a victory or any points, languishing in last place.

Al Wakrah won the much-anticipated match at the Al Janoub Stadium by defeating Al Rayyan 3-2, thanks to the brilliance of Ayoub Assal and Mohamed Benyettou, with the former scoring the equalizing goal after Achraf Bencharki gave Al Rayyan an early lead. Benyettou scored a brace to lead The Blue Wave to disrupt Al Rayyan and inflict on them their first defeat. Al Wakrah advanced to third place with 11 points, keeping their undefeated record, while Al Rayyan fell to second place with 12 points from four victories.

Al Ahli succeeded in achieving their first victory this season with a landslide 4-2 victory over Muaither. Tunisian star Naim Sliti also continued his brilliance and contributed to this important victory, which made the team advance to 10th place with three points, while Muaither are in eighth place with four points after recording their third loss.

Umm Salal continued their good performances and achieved their second successive victory this season by surpassing Al Shamal to advance to sixth place with eight points from two wins, as many draws and one loss, while Al Shamal remained on three points and are in ninth place following their second loss this season.

In terms of top scorers, Algerian Yacine Brahimi, the Al Gharafa star, maintained the top spot with seven goals despite not scoring in this round, ahead of Al Duhail’s Kenyan striker Michael Olunga who is on six goals.