Unstoppable Al Sadd seal title in style

Doha, Qatar: Al Sadd, Qatar’s most successful club, took a while to get to their 14th title after pocketing their 13th in 2012-13, but when it finally arrived on Thursday it happened in breath-taking style.

Baghdad Bounedjah scored another hat-trick, Hassan Al Haydous helped himself with two while Akjram Afif and Jung Woo-Young also got into the scoresheet as the Wolves thumped Al Ahli 7-2 and exacted revenge for a 1-4 defeat in the first phase.

The result helped Sadd to 54 points while second-placed Al Duhail, who lost to Al Kharaitiyat 0-1 are on 47 with just one round of matches to go.

Sadd needed just a point to ensure title but they wanted something big and were after that right from the start.

It only took six minutes for them to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Spanish recruit Gabi, who came from Atletico Madrid at the close season, has been a towering presence in the midfield with his effortless style of play. He was again crucial with his intervention to nip an Ahli move right in the bud and Hassan Al Haydous picked up the loose ball to find the run of Bounedjah with a through ball. Ahli goalkeeper Evanildo Santos had to advance and foul Bounedjah when the Algerian tried to round him.

Bounedjah sent Santos the wrong way from the spot and nonchalantly stroked the ball into an empty net for his 37th goal of the season.

Sadd could have killed off the match in the next three minutes with two more goals but Xavi uncharacteristically sked a left-footer from close range with only the goalkeeper to beat while Pedro drew a smart save from Santos with a stinging right-footer.

Right-back Pedro who spent more time in the opposition penalty box than in his own area in the opening half hour, had another chance to put his name on the scoresheet a few minutes later when Akram Afif squared the ball for him in the 14th but he hit his shot into the stands.

After being overrun in the midfield in the opening minutes despite the presence of Dutch star Nigel de Jong, Ahli briefly looked like they were growing into the game.

A cross from the right from Abdelrhman Moustafa narrowly missed a diving Meshal Abdulla before the former took advantage of a slip from Boualem Khoukhi to surge into the box only to lose his own footing under pressure from Tarek Salman.

In between, Mohsine Moutaouali drew a diving stop from Sadd goalkeeper Meshal Issa Barshim with an awkwardly bouncing shot.

But any hope Ahli had of coming back into the match suffered a mighty blow as Xavi found Al Haydous with a trademark through pass and the Qatar national team captain beat Santos with his second try after his first shot was blocked by the goalkeeper.

The match was only into the 24th minute then but it looked over as a contest as Sadd attackers queued up to test Santos. They kept on missing chances to the displeasure of coach Jesualdo Ferreira.

However, Bounedjah scored their third, his second of the match and 38th of the season in the first half added time and it was a beautiful individual goal.

When Bounedjah received the pass from Al Haydous, after Afif broke down an Ahli attack in their own half, he was surrounded by opposition players. But the 27-year old evaded a crowd of green shirts as he danced his way into the box before squeezing the ball between the outstretched left hand of Santos and the post.

His strike partner Afif might not have scored as many as Bounedjah, but he has been as impactful as the Algerian while more than matching him in style.

The Qatar winger showed his flair and touch yet again with a beautiful diagonal run through the box before finishing with a delightful left-footed chip in the 53rd.

With the match and title won, Xavi left the field to be replaced by Ali Asad while Sadd, understandably, lowered their intensity a bit allowing Ahli to take advantage in the 71st minute through De Jong.

But it took just four minutes for Sadd to restore their four-goal lead. Bounedjah was fouled inside the box after another Sadd attack and referee Nayef Al Kadiri pointed to the spot for the second time in the match. Al Haydous rolled the ball to the right of keeper to make it 5-1.

Another lapse in concentration saw Ahli substitute Abdulrasheed Umaru, the top-scorer at 2018 AFC Under-19 Championship in Indonesia where Qatar lost in the semifinals, punish Sadd with a clinical finish to make it 5-2.

One impressive feature of Sadd’s campaign this season has been their big victories and they made sure this was another one in that list with two more goals.

Bounedjah completed his hat-trick in the 81st with an emphatic finish while Jung Woo-Young scored off a free-kick with the last shot of the match.

Sadd players them formed a large circle and danced in the lashing rain for a brief moment before running across the pitch to greet their supporters.

The 14th had come finally, and Sadd supporters would be hoping that the party has only begun.