(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Al Shahania defeated Al Sailiya 1-0, Al Khor played out a 2-2 draw with Al Rayyan and Al Ahli blanked Al Sadd 3-0 in the QSL Cup fifth round Group B matches yesterday. Rayyan, Al Khor, Al Ahli and Al Sadd had already reached the quarter-finals after the Round 4 action.
Rayyan thus topped the group with 13 points, followed by Al Khor (11), Al Ahli (nine), Al Sadd (five), Al Shahania (three) and Al Sailiya (one).
The first-four teams from each group advanced to the quarter-finals, where the winners of Group A face fourth-placed team of Group B. The other quarter-finals will be second-placed team of Group A vs third-placed team of Group B, third-placed team of Group A vs second-placed team of Group B and fourth-placed team of Group A vs winners of Group B.
Al Sailiya 0 Al Shahania 1
Al Shahania stole the points with a toughly-fought 1-0 victory away to Al Sailiya at the Al Duhail Stadium. The goal was scored by Ayoub Mansour in the 72nd minute. This was a game of very few chances as both teams battled for possession and influence throughout the match. Al Sailiya came close as Meshaal al-Shammari drove forward before unleashing a powerful shot from 30 yards which missed the goal by a fraction, with the goalkeeper stranded.
The deadlock was broken when Ayoub converted Abdulrahman al-Jael's layoff following a period of intense pressure.
Al Sailiya nearly got an immediate reply as Mohamed Rajab struck another long-range effort that once again missed the target by the narrowest of margins.
Al Khor 2 Al Rayyan 2
Al Rayyan grabbed a late equaliser to share the spoils with Al Khor in an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Al Ahli Stadium. Al Khor's goals came through Ahmed al-Mohannadi in the 26th and 69th minutes, while Sebastian Soria (44th) and Lucca Borges (88th minutes) scored for Al Rayyan. The first goal came after a blistering start in which Al Rayyan had a couple of good chances, but it was Al Khor who broke the deadlock. Al-Mohannadi raced on to a defence-splitting through ball and confidently planted his shot past goalkeeper Fahad Baker.
With the half coming to an end, Soria got Al Rayyan on the score sheet when he tapped home from Lucca's athletically-diverted pass from the left by-line.
Al-Mohannadi was on hand again later on as he reacted quickest to a ball that dropped in the box and struck home with his second touch. With the game drawing to a close and Al Khor set for all three points, a lovely team move was enough to help secure a point for Al Rayyan. Abdulrahman al-Harazi played a neat exchange with Lucca whose fierce shot was too good for the goalkeeper to save.
Al Ahli 3 Al Sadd 0
Al Ahli dominated possession right throughout and secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Al Sadd at the Al Ahli Stadium. Mohsine al-Yazidi (14th minute), Mohammed Muntari (26th) and Ali Ferydoon (90th) were on target for Al Ahli, who had 62 per cent ball possession. Al Ahli forced seven corner kicks as against Al Sadd's one. Al Sadd had a good chance to pull one back in the second half, but three attempts by their players in one go went in vain. First, goalkeeper Ivanildo Rodrigues blocked Saoud Ibrahim's shot. Then, Rami Sohail struck the rebound against the right upright. Meshaal Ibrahim attempted again, but Ivanildo had regained his position by then and came to his team's rescue.
Qatar SC 2 Al Duhail 1
Qatar SC registered a 2-1 win over Al Duhail in the Group A match at the Al Gharafa Stadium. Ali Said (eighth minute) and Khalid Mahmoudi (42nd) scored the goals for Qatar SC. Paolo Edmilson pulled one back for Al Duhail in the 84th minute.
The match was originally scheduled for Thursday, but was rescheduled for yesterday at the request of Al Duhail and with the approval of Qatar SC because of the pressure on Under-23 players as well as the presence of a large number of players in the Qatar national team and Olympic team.
Qatar SC (11 points), Al Gharafa (nine), Al Duhail (eight) and Al Kharaitiyat (six) progressed to the quarter-finals from the group. Umm Salal and Al Arabi finished with five and one points respectively.
The first-four teams from each group advanced to the quarter-finals, where the winners of Group A face fourth-placed team of Group B.
The other quarter-finals will be second-placed team of Group A vs third-placed team of Group B, third-placed team of Group A vs second-placed team of Group B and fourth-placed team of Group A vs winners of Group B. It was Qatar SC's third victory in the tournament, the most number of wins in Group A. They took the half-time break with a two-goal cushion.
The game looked like ending with the same scoreline until substitute Brazilian striker Edmilson, who replaced Moroccan spearhead Yousef El Arabi at the start of second half, scored late.
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