Al-Sadd beat Al-Gharafa 4:1 in the third round of the Stars League on Friday. The hosts remain unbeaten after three matches, while the visitors have now lost two of their opening games. Roberto Firmino scored in stoppage time to seal the result after the match had been settled.
Yusuf Abdurisag opened the scoring early, five minutes in, before Cláudio Luiz Rodrigues Parise Leonel equalised for Al-Gharafa twelve minutes later. The home side took control after the break. Akram Afif restored the lead on fifty minutes and Yacine Brahimi added a second for the visitors in the eightieth minute, though his goal came too late to change the direction of the game.
Al-Sadd created seven big chances against just one for Al-Gharafa. Both teams held fifty per cent possession, but the hosts were far more clinical. They registered six shots on target with four off target, while the visitors managed five shots on target and eight wide. The statistics suggest Al-Gharafa refused to go away, but they cannot afford another slip if they want to climb away from ninth place.
Three yellow cards fell to the away side, with Seydou Sano, Ferjani Sassi and Fabricio Díaz all cautioned. Al-Sadd kept their discipline, showing zero cards. The hosts worked a short corner in the opening exchanges and kept knocking on the door throughout, while Al-Gharafa's attempts to find a rhythm were disrupted by the pace of the game.
Al-Sadd had beaten Al-Gharafa 2:1 on their last meeting on September first. That result now sits behind them as the hosts move to nine points from three games. Al-Gharafa remain on three points after one win and two defeats. The gap between them is already significant at this stage of the season.
