Al Arabi back to winning ways
Doha, Qatar: Aron Gunnarsson returned from a long injury lay off and Al Arabi came back to winning ways in the Qatar Stars League with 3-0 blanking of Al Ahli on Thursday.
Pierre-Michelle Lassoga (15th minute), Mohammed Salah El Neel (45th minute) and Morteza Pouraliganji (73rd minute) scored as The Dream Team moved on to 18 points with their fifth victory.
Arabi had not won in their last five games after Gunnarsson suffered an ankle injury in early October but the Icelandic star's return brought about a change in the team's fortune as well.
Meanwhile, it was Al Ahli’s seventh loss and they remained on 13 points.
Al Ahli had recently replaced Spanish coach Ruben de la Barrera with Nebojsa Jovovic and the change at the helm did not seem to be working out for The Brigadiers as they had suffered a similar-margin defeat at the hands of Al Duhail in the previous round, in the Montenegrin’s debut in Qatar.
It was mostly Al Arabi in the first half and they were duly 2-0 up at half-time.
Abdullah Marafy stood tall by giving assists for both goals. First, he set up Lassoga with a pass from the right and the latter found the target with a chipped shot over the head of goalkeeper Ivanildo Rodriguez.
Marafy was at it again, this time brilliantly crossing the ball from the left for El Neel to apply the finishing touch just before the teams took the breather.
For Al Ahli, Abel Mathias and Nabil El Zhar missed opportunities.
Al Ahli displayed more alacrity in the second half and came close to scoring a few times even as Morteza swelled Al Arabi’s tally with a headed goal off a corner kick from Marc Martinez.
