Al Sadd got the better of Al Rayyan 1-0 in the Qatar Clasico in Week 10 of the 2020-21 season QNB Stars League at the Al Sadd Stadium on Wednesday.

Baghdad Bounedjah’s strike in the 83rd minute helped Al Sadd maintain their unbeaten streak in the campaign.

Al Sadd continued to top the table with 28 points after recording their ninth victory.

Al Rayyan, playing under French coach Laurent Blanc for the first time, stood on 13 points following their third defeat.

The two teams kicked off the proceedings at a fast pace in the flagship match of QNB Stars League. Al Sadd attackers kept Al Rayyan defenders busy, but the latter remained strong to thwart the moves through Dame Traori and Gabriel Mercado who, on one occasion, stopped Al Sadd’s Akram Afif prowling with the ball on the edge of the box.

Blanc’s side also attacked Al Sadd backline though none of those moves could get them close to Al Sadd keeper Meshaal Barsham in the first six minutes.

In the 13th minute, Akram hared away with the ball despite given chase by two Al Rayyan markers. As he entered the box, Akram fired a shot, but Al Rayyan keeper Fahad Younis blocked the shot with his legs.

A minute before the half-hour mark, Bounedjah managed to avoid a yellow card with a rough tackle on Mercado. In the 34th minute, defender Boualem Khoukhi jumped high for a snap-header off a free-kick by Rodrigo Tabata. Khoukhi’s deflection from close range narrowly missed the mark as the ball landed on the top of the net.

In the 36th minute, Ahmed Abdelmaqsoud produced a loopy cross from far, but the Al Sadd goalkeeper charged out of the box to head the ball away despite the presence of Yacine Brahimi.

Towards the close of first half, Abdulaziz Hatem found Ivorian striker Boli inside the Al Sadd box, but his deflection flew above the crossbar from close range. Al Rayyan’s Hatim – after sneaking into the Al sad box – fired a bullet but his shot was pouched by keeper Barsham.

Six minutes into the second half, Al Sadd’s Bounedjah broke into the Al Rayyan box and flicked a short cross to a team-mate, but ever-present Mercado used a backheel to block the move.

Close to the hour-mark, Al Sadd coach Xavi opted for double substitution and benched Tabata, and brought in influential Hassan Al Haydous along with Jung Woo-Young, in place of Musab Khadir.

In the 62nd minute, Afif received a near-perfect cross from Al Haydous, but the star forward’s powerful drive from inside the box was blocked by Al Rayyan’s agile keeper.

Three minutes later, former Arsenal midfielder Cazorla clipped in a neat cross for Bounedjah, stationed perfectly for a header close to the Al Rayyan goalmouth. Bounedjah jumped high, but his deflection went tad wide of a goalpost.

Seven minutes from time, Akram slipped in a short cross for Cazorla who picked out Bounedjah close to the goal. The ever-alert Algerian smartly flicked the ball into the net for the only goal of the marquee clash.