(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Defending champions Al Sadd were back to winning ways as they prevailed over a 10-man Al Rayyan in Qatar Clasico 5-1 in their Qatar Stars League (QSL) 2025-2026 season at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday.

The Wolves took charge right from the start and led 2-1 at half time. Al Rayyan's Gregore De Magalhaes Favero was shown the red card in the 20th minute of the match for bringing down a charging Akram Afif with a dangerous tackle.

Roberto Firmino (11th and 55th minutes), Boualem Khoukhi (45+10 minute), Akram Afif (52nd minute), and Rafa Mujica 74th minute (Penalty) got the goals for Al Sadd while Al Rayyan's only consolation goal was scored by Roger Guedes in the 37th minute (Penalty).

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Al Gharafa's Joselu (centre) in action against Al Duhail during their QSL match yesterday.

It was the sterling Afif who played the lead role by providing two assists besides scoring one.

It was Al Sadd's third win of the league and took their points tally to 11 to be in sixth place while Al Rayyan with 13 points remained in fourth.

Mercurial Afif initiated the opening goal for his team as he took an indirect free kick just outside the box and then struck the right post but Firmino was at hand to make a header after the ricochet.

Al Rayyan tried to come back and got a reprieve when the referee signaled for the spot following a handball inside the box. Guedes scored to draw parity at 1-1. But Al Sadd snatched the lead back before the half time whistle with Khoukhi slotting home a fine Afif assist.

Afif came back after the break to produce another superb goal in his trademark style, striking from just outside the box and into the left corner of the net (3-1).

With momentum in their favour, Al Sadd hit harder with Afif combining with Haydos and later Firmino, for the latter to score their fourth goal of the match. Al Rayyan made matters worse for themselves when a charging Mujica was felled near the goalline and they conceded another penalty. The Spaniard gleefully scored from the spot to make it 5-1 for the winners.
Al Gharafa beat Al Duhail 3-1

In the other match of the day, Al Gharafa secured a 3-1 win over Al Duhail at the Thani Bin Jassim
Stadium. Joselu bagged a brace (55th minute) and (90th +3 minute, penalty) following Seydou Sano's 23rd minute opener to move Al Gharafa to 19 points, while Luis Alberto scored the only goal for Al Duhail,
who remained on 11 points, in three minutes of added time in the first half.

Sano belled the cat for Al Gharafa with a superb towering header from the centre of the box, following a Yacine Brahimi's corner, which goalkeeper Bautista Burke could not provide an answer to. Al Duhail relentless pounding on The Cheetahs' backline following the goal yielded the expected result just before half-time, with Luis Alberto powering home with a sublime right-footed lob over the on-rushing goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar.

The pendulum once again swung in favour of Al Gharafa ten minutes into the second half with another corner kick from Brahimi, headed home by Joselu.

Tensions flared up in the 77th minute of the high-intensity match with Al Duhail's Marco Verratti getting the marching orders for violent conduct following protests for a cancelled goal due to an alleged infringement on Ahmed Mohamed Alganehi in its build-up.
Al Gharafa capitalized on their numerical advantage to extend their lead in three minutes of injury time, with Joselu securing his brace from the spot following a foul on him by Karim Boudiaf to ensure a convincing win.

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