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<p>Al Sadd defeated Al Duhail 1-0 in a heavyweight encounter between the holders and leaders in Week 20 of the 2019-20 season QNB Stars League at the Al Sadd Stadium on Saturday.</p><p>Rodrigo Tabata, who recently switched from Al Rayyan for his second spell with Al Sadd, netted the all-important goal in the 24th minute.</p><p>It was a foregone conclusion that the high-voltage battle would be fought fiercely. The star cast on both sides added spice to it.</p><p>Al Duhail still lead the standings with 46 points, while Al Sadd moved on to 41 and are placed third.</p><p>Al Rayyan are second with 45 points following their 1-0 win over Al Sailiya on Thursday.</p><p>With two matches remaining in the competition, Al Sadd only have a mathematical chance of retaining the league shield. The fight for title is directly between Al Duhail and Al Rayyan.</p><p>Al Sadd have been on a roll, beating Al Khor 2-1 and Al Ahli 1-0, ever since the resumption of QNB Stars League with Week 18 action.</p><p>It was also a sweet revenge for The Wolves, who had lost 1-4 to The Red Knights in the league’s first leg.</p><p>Al Duhail’s Han Kwang-Song marked the opening of exchanges with a shot straight to goalkeeper Saad Al Dossari, who was outstanding below the bar.</p><p>Al Sadd showed more purpose in the first half, while Al Duhail had relatively more domination in the latter session though they were unlucky.</p><p>The only goal came when Tabata placed home a rebound from goalkeeper Mohammed Al Bakri after he was set up by Baghdad Bounedjah following the first attempt, a power-packed angular shot, by Hassan Al Haydous.</p><p>Al Sadd almost doubled the lead in the 36th minute, but for Bounedjah sending his shot wide.</p><p>After Al Duhail’s Almoez Ali headed over the bar in the 44th minute, Hashim Ali could not connect a Bounedjah pass in injury time.</p><p>Al Dossari palmed away an Almoez header in the 58th minute. Soon, Han’s shot hit the goalkeeper’s body.</p><p>Al Duhail’s Ismail Mohammed, Mohammed Muntari and Paulo Edmilson too made attempts at the goal.</p><p>Both teams effected a couple of substitutions as the game wore on, but it failed to produce a second goal.</p>