A commanding performance helped Al Rayyan beat Al Arabi 3-1 in Week 16 of the QNB Stars League at the Al Sadd Stadium on Thursday.
A double by new recruit Gelmin Rivas saw Al Rayyan through in the high-voltage match played in front of a good crowd.
After a few intense minutes, Al Rayyan opened the scoring through Rivas in the 13th minute. Rivas smashed a rebound into the top end of the net after the goalkeeper blocked Lucca Borges’ shot.
In the 19th minute, South Korean international Koh Myong-Jin produced a powerful left-footed drive to send the ball crashing into the Al Arabi net with keeper Mahmoud Ibrahim in no position to block the shot.
In the 37th minute, Al Rayyan’s overseas import Lucca was booked with a yellow card by referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim for a rough tackle on Diego Jardel.
Al Rayyan’s Mohammed Juma Al Alawi was the first to be booked by the referee in the 20th minute.
Five minutes from half-time, Al Arabi’s Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony curled in a beautiful shot from inside the box, but the ball narrowly swung away from the goalpost.
Early in the second half, Al Arabi pulled one back when Bony clipped a ball from close range above the head of Al Rayyan keeper Fahad Younis following a goal-mouth melee.
Rivas scored his second and his team’s third goal in the 67th minute as Al Rayyan started dictating terms.
In the dying seconds, Bony hit the crossbar as Al Arabi failed to score a second time.
Source: qsl.qa