Al Sadd keeps up the pressure on Lekhwiya with 1-0 win over Al Kharaitiyat
 
Al Sadd continued their excellent run of form and kept up the pressure on league leaders Lekhwiya by beating league strugglers Al Kharaitiyat 1-0 in Wednesday’s 16:15 Round 14 kick off at the Al Khor Stadium.
 
Despite Al Kharaitiyat heading into the match with confidence after a valuable win over Al Gharafa in Round 13, it was a superb solo free kick from Al Sadd’s Ibrahim Majed that separated the two teams over the 90 minutes after an underwhelming performance from Al Sadd in open play.
 
Al Sadd came out of the blocks in the first half looking the better team but Al Kharaitiyat began dominating possession after ten minutes of play and should have gone into half time with the lead after a physical 45 minute performance saw The Thunders dominate play and create the better chances.
 
Al Kharaitiyat’s best chance of the first half fell to their number 99, Lassina Diaby, after he was gifted a chance on the 26^th minute when a loose ball from a challenge in the box left the ball at his feet just yards from goal and with plenty of space. Despite getting a fierce shot away it was straight at Al Sadd’s goalkeeper, Saad Al Dosari, who managed to parry the shot to a defender who cleared the ball.
 
Al Sadd had a half chance just minutes later when they countered an Al Kharaitiyat attack. Al Sadd’s talismanic captain, Xavi Hernandez, fed a perfectly weight through ball for a sprinting number 70, Hamza Sanhaji, who managed to beat the offside trap and smash a fierce shot on target. Al Kharaitiyat’s goalkeeper was perfectly placed though and managed to push it wide for a corner.
 


Minutes later, Al Sadd’s Kasola Mohammed was given a yellow card for what replays showed to be a fair challenge. The booking was too much for Al Sadd’s Portuguese Head Coach, Jesualdo Ferreira, whose frustration at the referee saw him venture out of the coach’s technical area to remonstrate which led him to be sent to the stands for dissent.
 
Al Sadd came out looking a more determined team after the halftime team talk, dominating possession from the whistle. Despite their commanding posession play, Al Sadd were not able to create any clear cut chances and find the back of the net.  That was until Al Sadd’s centre-half, Ibrahim Majed, stepped up for a free kick on the 74^th minute from over 30 yards out and hit a fierce shot on his right that smashed into the top right hand corner of the goal, bouncing off the top of post and leaving Al Kharaitiyat’s diving goalkeeper with no chance.

 Al Kharaitiyat continued to look for an equaliser right up until the final whistle though and had a shot cleared off the line on the 86^th minute. Despite a courageous performance, the equaliser never came though and it finished 1-0 to Al Sadd.
 
Al Sadd have now recorded a total of 16 points from a possible 18 as they maintain their title chances and keep up the pressure on league leaders Lekhwiya. Al Kharaitiyat look destine for a relegation battle.

 
Lekhwiya beat Muiather 3-1 to stay top of the league
 Bottom of the table Muiather took on QSL league leaders Lekhwiya at the Al Gharafa stadium on Wednesday in Round 14 of the QSL. The one-sided match ended 3-1 in favor of the Cops while Muaither were handed their seventh defeat in a row.
 
On the 21st minute, Muaither were close to conceding an own goal when Ismail’s cross was deflected off Bruno’s leg and went on to hit the post on the far side.
 
Just minutes later (27th), Muaither defender,  Mohammad Zowayed, pulled Al Afif’s shirt in the box and the referee promptly pointed to the spot. Nam Tae Hee took the penalty and smashed the ball to the left of keeper Basel Zidane to open the scoring.
 
Just before the half time whistle, Moez Ali doubled Lekhwiya’s lead. Khalid Muftah intercepted a Muaither pass and then passed it to Moez Ali. The Qatari youngster then took the ball in his stride inside the box and smashed the ball into the net to double his side’s lead.


 
The first half ended 2-0 in favour of Djamel Belmadi’d men. Lekhwiya had almost 70% of the ball and far more chances at goal than their opponents who were struggling to keep up with the onslaught.
 
Muiather came out in the second half looking more determined and forced a double save from Lekhwiya keeper, Claude Amine in the 52nd minute. Ahmed Yassine’s initial shot was deflected into the path of Sako who’s effort was also saved.
 
Ismael Mohammed scored the third goal for the Cops after he got on the end of a Mohammed Tresor cross from the right. The 59th minute goal put the match way beyond the reach of Muaither who are now cemented to the bottom of the table with just nine points.
 
Alain Dioko scored a consolation goal in the 88th minute after Bruno’s header from a corner was saved by the Lekhwiya keeper. The ball landed into the path of Dioko who tapped it into the goal from close range. The goal was the Congolese veteran’s fourth goal of the season.
 
The three points cements Lekhwiya’s position as league leader, sitting atop with 36 points. Philip Birrol needs to go back to the drawing board though as his side suffer their seventh loss in a row and sit rooted to the bottom of the table.