DOHA: Al-Duhail secured a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Qatar SC on Saturday in the 11th and final round of the first leg of the Doha Bank Stars League, at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.
The hosts controlled much of the match but found clear chances limited, particularly in a first half that ended scoreless. Al-Duhail’s best opportunity before the break came through striker Krzysztof Piatek, whose powerful header was pushed away by the Qatar SC goalkeeper, though play was halted moments later for a foul on the Polish forward.
Al-Duhail began the match with Bautista Burki in goal, supported by Bassam Al-Rawi, Marco Verratti, Ismail Mohammed, Paulo Edmilson, Piatek, Luis Alberto, Karim Boudiaf, Sultan Al-Buraik, Jean Castellitto and Ibrahim Bamba.
The home side showed greater attacking intent after the restart. Luis Alberto went close in the 46th minute with a strong effort that narrowly missed the right post, signaling Al-Duhail’s growing pressure.
That pressure paid off in the 55th minute when Ismail Mohammed broke the deadlock, rising to meet a precise cross from Sultan Al-Buraik and heading home to give Al-Duhail the lead.
Qatar SC attempted to respond in the closing stages but struggled to create clear openings, while Al-Duhail focused on protecting their advantage. The task became more difficult for the hosts in the 85th minute when defender Bassam Al-Rawi was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, forcing Al-Duhail to finish the match with 10 players.
Despite the late dismissal, Al-Duhail held firm to secure all three points and conclude the first half of the league campaign with a narrow but valuable win.
