QSL
Qatar SC blanked Al Arabi 3-0 in Week 7 of the 2020-21 season QNB Stars League at the Qatar SC Stadium on Thursday.
New recruit Youcef Belaili (38th-minute penalty and 87th-minute penalty) and Alejandro Jimena (90+5) scored the goals as Qatar SC took their points tally to nine, while Al Arabi stood on five points.
Qatar SC thus continued their good run, having beaten Al Wakrah in the last round. Incidentally, Belaili had netted the all-important goal in that match. In the process, The Kings had jumped from the bottom of the table to eighth position then.
On the other hand, Al Arabi’s woes compounded, having lost 1-4 to Al Sadd in the Qatar Derby in Week 6.
Both teams enjoyed equal ball possession.
Belaili and Anthony Okpotu were at the helm of Qatar SC’s offensives, the former playing a composed game and the latter impressing with his speed and power.
Okpotu came very close to scoring once, but for a goalline save by Al Arabi defender Marc Martinez even as goalkeeper Mahmoud Ibrahim had left his charge in pursuit of a rescue act.
Al Arabi mainly had Aron Gunnarsson’s aerial shot and Abdulaziz Al Ansari’s weak shot to show for their efforts in the first half.
The opening goal came when a penalty was awarded against Al Arabi’s Jassem Jaber’s foul on Belaili and the latter himself converted from the spot.
Changing ends, Qatar SC continued from where they left off. They went 2-0 up after Belaili was spot-on with a penalty, awarded after he was tripped by substitute Mohammed Bader Sayyar.
Jimena then headed in a corner kick deep into stoppage time to seal the issue in Qatar SC’s favour.