Doha: Al Ahli beat Al Wakrah 6-3 in Week 12 of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League at the Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday.
The nine-goal thriller of a match recorded two braces each from Al Ahli’s Oumar Sekou (22nd minute, penalty) and (71st minute) and Erik Expósito (68th minute) and (90th minute + eighth), while Julian Draxler (36th minute) and Robin Tihi (55th minute) added one each for the winners as they extended their points tally to 25 points.
Al Wakrah’s goals, on the other hand, were scored by Ayoub Assal (11th minute) and (90th minute + three) and Ricardo Gomes (47th minute), ensuring they remained on 14 points.
The Blue Wave got off to a dream start with Assal, who had his right-footed shot from a brilliant assist by Alexander Scholz saved a few seconds earlier, taking advantage of a poor goalkeeping by Al Ahli’s goalkeeper Marwan Badreldin to tap home the opener in the 11th minute.
An undaunted Al Ahli, who have been in splendid form this season, went all out in search of an immediate equaliser and they were almost rewarded in the 15th minute only for Matej Mitrovic’s powerful shot from the centre of the box to get a fingertip save by Al Wakrah’s goalkeeper, Saoud Al Khater.
The equaliser eventually came in the 22nd minute from the spot, with Sekou coolly converting the resultant penalty kick, sending the goalkeeper the opposite side, after Alexander Scholz had been adjudged to have brought the Frenchman down in a goal-bound situation. The penalty decision, which was subjected to a lengthy VAR review after protests from Al Wakrah, was eventually made to stand.
After a series of back and forth on both sides with a couple of chances missed in between the duo, Al Ahli took the lead in the 36th minute through German international Draxler, whose right-footed shot from the left side of the box was just too much for Al Khater to handle, with the ball sliding through his outstretched arms on its way to the net.
Despite being on the back foot, things turned for the worse for Al Wakrah in two minutes of added time in the first half as they were reduced to ten men with Scholz getting the marching orders for a second yellow of the night.
Al Wakrah responded to Al Ahli’s lead two minutes into the second half as an unmarked Gomes, assisted by Assal, wasted no time in blasting home to once again make the highly entertaining match even.
The visiting team, however, had only about eight minutes to celebrate their equaliser as The Brigadiers once again went ahead in the 55th minute with their third goal of the ding-dong affair through Tihi, whose low-driven but powerful right-footed shot sailed straight into the bottom left corner of Al Wakrah’s goal.
Al Ahli ensured that their one-man advantage counted when it mattered as they further extended their lead in the 68th minute with Expósito also registering on the scorers sheet from an assist by substitute Abdelrahman Moustafa. Three minutes later, Yansane made it 5-2 in favour of Al Ahli to further compound Al Wakrah’s woes.
Despite Assal’s second of the night in five minutes of added time, Al Ahli ensured that they maintained their three-goal lead as Expósito netted his goal three minutes later to end the high-scoring match 6-3 in favour of Al Ahli.
