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<p>Qatar SC went down fighting 1-2 to Al Rayyan in a 2019-20 season QNB Stars League Week 18 match at the Al Sadd Stadium on Friday.</p><p>Al Rayyan moved on to 41 points (12 wins, five draws and one defeat), whereas Qatar SC remained on 17 points (four victories, five draws and nine defeats).</p><p>Yacine Brahimi (40th-minute penalty) and Yohan Boli (83rd minute) scored for Al Rayyan as they stood in contention for the title with just a point less than leaders Al Duhail, who will play Umm Salal in Saturday’s first fixture.</p><p>Kayke Rodriguez had put Qatar SC ahead in the 10th minute.</p><p>Qatar SC are not completely safe from the relegation threat. However, they have put up better displays ever since ex-Qatar international midfielder Wesam Rizik took charge of the squad, replacing Spanish coach Carlos Alos Ferrer, under whom they dropped many points.</p><p>This time, it was a much-improved performance by Qatar SC, who had lost to Al Rayyan by a 0-5 margin in the first leg.</p><p>Al Rayyan dominated the exchanges with 68 per cent of the ball at the end. Brahimi, Boli & Co more than made up for the absence of The Lions’ influential midfielder Rodrigo Tabata, whose contract with the club ended.</p><p>Kayke found the target as he beat off the offside trap and challenge from Al Rayyan defender Gabriel Mercado after controlling with his chest a long lob from the right by Sardor Rashidov. And goalkeeper Fahd Younis could not do much either.</p><p>Kayke was soon at it, but this time, he hit the side-netting.</p><p>Al Rayyan equalised as Brahimi converted a penalty awarded after Abdulaziz Hatem was fouled inside the box by Omar Al Emadi when Hatem was chasing a pass given by Khaled Muftah on the left.</p><p>Mercado compensated towards the end of first half by effecting a goalline clearance off a chip shot by Rashidov.</p><p>After the second half started, Al Hail had to produce an acrobatic save to parry a stunning long-ranger from Abdulaziz Hatem.</p><p>Al Rayyan’s winner came off Boli, who volleyed home from close after Abdulaziz Hatem provided him with a pass from the left. The ball had rebounded off the left post and off the leg of Al Hail after Brahimi first unleashed a grounder.Adding to Qatar SC’s woes, Khaled Mahmoudi was sent off in the 87th minute.</p>