DOHA: Relying on a goal spree in the first few minutes of the match, Al Sadd yesterday crushed hosts Qatar SC 5-2 at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Raul and Mamadouh Niang scored two goals each while Nadir Belhadj scored the fifth goal in the 53rd minute.
For the losers, Bakari Kone (6) and Youssef Safri (47) scored the two goals.
Qatar played the last few minutes with just nine men after two players - Mourad Naji and Ali Saber - were red carded by the referee for needless tackles on Raul.
In just the third minute, Talal Baloushi made inroads close to Qatar SC box and slipped the ball to Niang. The Senegalese opted for a left-footed drive and went for the left of goalkeeper Mohammed Mobaraq for his team’s first strike.
In less than four minutes, Qatar SC struck back as Kone found the net in a textbook charge and finish.
Kone picked up a lose ball near the Al Sadd box but despite being under pressure from Korean defender Jung-Soo Lee, the Ivory Coast striker chipped and charged before unleashing a powerful drive past the diving goalkeeper.
In the 10th minute, Al Sadd grabbed the lead for the second time when Qatar SC’s Safri brought down Raul inside the box. The referee flashed a yellow card and pointed to the spot. Niang calmly scored from the penalty.
In the 13th minute, Al Sadd scored their third goal. Abdulkarim charged in from the left flank and calmly slotted the ball through to unmarked Raul who deflected the ball past the goalkeeper.
Soon after the resumption of play, Qatar SC struck back through Safri who curled in a free-kick in 47th minute.
The ball looped over the heads of Al Sadd players and bounced awkwardly in front of goalkeeper Mohamed Saqr.
The bounced completely fooled Saqr who failed to read the flight and allowed the ball to go into the net.
Belhadj scored in the 53rd minute.
In the 56th minute, Raul netted his second goal with a clinical flick from the edge of Qatar SC box, leaving the home team coach Sebastiao Lazaroni furious on the touchline.
Also yesterday, visitors Al Khor rallied for a respectable 1-1 draw against hosts Al Arabi in their round-two QSL clash.
Al Arabi opened the scoring through Mathew Thomas in the 14th minute.
Al Khor equalised when Julio Cesar found the net in the 63rd minute.
Al Arabi’s Australian import Thomas produced a perfectly-timed snap-header off a free-kick to deflect the ball into the net as the hosts grabbed an early lead in the match.
Cesar - who scored in the first match for Al Khor - produced a neat dribbling act before hitting the net from close range. Al Arabi take on Al Gharafa on September 29 whereas Al Khor host Qatar SC a day earlier.
In the last match of the day, former champions Al Gharafa failed to score against Al Kharaitiyat in what was the second match for both sides.
Yahia Kebe missed a penalty for Al Kharaitiyat in the 74th minute.
None of the sides dictated terms in the match played at Al Khor Stadium.
Al Gharafa lost to Al Wakra last week.
In their next match, Al Gharafa play Al Arabi on September 29.
Al Wakra will host Al Kharaitiyat the same day.
THE PENINSULA
