Al Duhail defeated Al Kharaitiyat 2-0 in Week 18 of the 2020-21 season QNB Stars League at the Al Duhail Stadium on Saturday.

Substitute Mohammed Muntari (69th minute) and Michael Olunga (85th minute) scored the goals as Al Duhail took their points tally to 37 with their 12th victory.

Al Kharaitiyat’s woes further compounded as they were rooted to the bottom of the table with six points following their 16th defeat.

Al Duhail are almost out of contention for the title as Al Sadd just need to beat Umm Salal on Sunday to be crowned the new QNB Stars League champions with an unassailable lead, irrespective of other results, with only four matches remaining to be played after this round of action.

On the other hand, Al Kharaitiyat face a daunting task if they are to avoid direct relegation to the Second Division, as 11th-placed Al Khor have 14 points.

Al Duhail mostly called the shots even as Al Kharaitiyat played second fiddle to their rivals with a defensive game.

Al Duhail’s Paulo Edmilson Junior shot over the bar in the opening minute.

Olunga’s left-foot volley crashed against the crosspiece in the 21st minute and Medhi Benatia’s shot was blocked by goalkeeper Shehab Ellethy in the 33rd minute.

Shehab kept his citadel intact with some good saves in the first half, but The Thunders’ defensive wall caved in twice in the latter session.

Al Duhail took the field after half-time, with Mohammed Musa replacing Bassam Al Rawi in the deep defence. Later on, Karim Boudiaf came in for Ali Karimi in the midfield and Mohammed Muntari substituted Almoez Ali in the attack.

The substitutions proved productive for The Red Knights as they found the breakthrough when Muntari headed in a lofted cross from the left by Eduardo Rodriguez (Dudu) after Boudiaf passed the ball to the Brazilian.

Dudu played a role in the second goal as well, with Olunga heading in a corner kick taken by him.

Al Kharaitiyat’s best chance to score came in the 57th minute, but goalkeeper Salah Zakaria parried a header by Oumar Sako following a free-kick by Nasser Ibrahim.

Al Duhail had beaten Al Kharaitiyat 4-1 in the first leg of 2020-21 season QNB Stars League.