Al Sadd finish sixth in FIFA Club World Cup

Doha, Qatar: Al Sadd committed too many mistakes too early in the game and made it impossible for a comeback as they went down 6-2 to Esperance Sportive de Tunis in the 5th place play-off match of FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday.

Sadd started disastrously and were down by a goal by the 6th minute after Esperance's Hamdou El Houni was allowed space to weave his magic inside their box.

The Esperance striker, who ended up with a hat-trick, got the better of Sadd captain Gabi and unleashed a measured shot into the car corner before Boualem Khoukhi could get his foot in.

A defensive mistake by Tarek Salman, whose back bass was terribly under-hit, allowed  El Houni and Anice Badri to launch another attack which the later finished off in the 13th.

Worse was to follow as Abdelkarim Hassan stopped Anice Badri's back-heel flick into the net with his hand. Though referee Abdelkader Zitouni from French Polynesia at first gave a corner for Esperance, he changed his decision after VAR check and gave the Tunisians a penalty while Hassan was shown a red card.

Three goals and a man down inside 25 minutes, Sadd had a mountain to climb but they got themselves a glimmer of hope after Akram Afif was fouled inside the box by Sameh Derbali in the 32nd minute, with the referee immediately pointing to the spot.

Baghdad Bounedjah blasted the ball home to make it 3-1.

But Elhouni restored Esperance's three-goal lead ten minutes later with another smart finish from close range.

Sadd came back from the breather with a lot of positive intent and Akram Afif won another penalty, proving too quick for Sameh Derbali in the 49th. Hassan Al Haydos converted from the spot to make it 4-2.

Chasing the game with just 10 men can always prove to be tough as Sadd found out when El Houni completed his hat-trick with a close-range finish.

And  Derbali atoned for his defensive errors with a fine finish to make it 6-2 in the 87th.