Baghdad Bounedjah scores four goals as Al Sadd thrash Al Shahania 7-1
Doha, Qatar: It’s just two rounds into the Qatar Stars League season, but it already looks like reigning champions Al Sadd, coached by Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez, are a cut above the rest.
With two wins, they are two points above the chasing pack, but it is the manner in which they dismantled Al Shahania, that would worry the rest of the teams.
Baghdad Bounedjah struck four goals including a hat-trick inside 28 minutes to lead the scoring charts in their 7-1 thrashing while Hassan Al Haydous registered his 100th goal with a thumping free-kick.
Boualem khoukhi and Abdul Karim Hassan also found the target for Sadd who did most of the damage in the first half while Ali Fereydoun scored a late consolation goal for Shahania.
The visitors had an early chance after Kesse Jean’s deflected cross came to an unmarked Ramin Rezaeian in Sadd area, but the Iranian was too eager and his shot had neither power nor any direction.
That, if any, was the only bright moment for Shahania as Sadd took over from then on.
A quickly taken short corner gave Akram Afif a chance to change the angle of his wicked cross which was too much for Shahania defence while Baghdad Bounedjah, waiting at the far post, met it with a towering header in the seventh.
After Afif missed two chances, the second of which was a sitter, Bounedjah made it 2-0 with consummate ease when he held off his marker before finding the target with a left-footer in the 17th.
Boualem Khoukhi made it 3-0 in the 24th minute with a thumping right-footer from a tight angle.
Four minutes later it was 4-0 as Bounedjah met Hassan Al Haydous’ beautiful diagonal pass into the box with his left foot and the ball rested in the net even though Salih Al Yahri got a touch to it.
They could have made it 5-0 within a minute but Khoukhi missed a sitter, sending his cross wide when his team-mates were queueing up at the Shahania goal mouth.
However, they did not have to wait long for the next goal as Abdulkarim Hassan headed home Afif’s header in the 34th.
Hassan Al Haidous made it 6-0 with a scorching freekick to make it 6-0 in the 45th minute.
It was the Qatar captain’s 100th goal for Sadd and his teammates lifted him and tossed him in the air in a brief celebration.
Bounedjah thought he had another reason to celebrate when he put the ball in the net for the fourth time in the 60th minute but it was ruled out by VAR for a foul on Nigel De Jong.
Though Sadd seemed to have taken their foot off the pedal the Algerian striker still got his fourth ten minutes later when he met Pedro’s cross from the right with a first-time finish that gave a hapless Khalifa Al Dossari in Shahania goal no chance.
Shahania scored a consolation five minutes later when Jung Woo-young completely misjudged a cross from the right and Ali Fereydoun took full advantage, chesting it down before unleashing a fierce right-footer to beat Saad Al Sheeb.
Sadd coach Xavi was naturally delighted but said it was just the start of the season.
“I am very happy with the performance and the huge result. We excelled in the first half and scored six goals. In the second half, Shahaniya defended well and prevented us from scoring more,” the Spaniard said. “We are still at the start of the season. We are on the top but it’s just the beginning and we must continue in order to reach our objectives."
But for Shahania, if the first two matches are any indication, it’s going to be a long, harsh season.
Earlier, Al Ahli bounced back from their first-round defeat to Al Arabi with a 3-0 blanking of Al Sailiya.
Abel Hernandez scored a double while Abdullah Al Ahrak also found the target for Al Ahli.
