Doha: Marc Saez scored twice and provided an assist as Muaither mounted a dramatic comeback to defeat Al Markhiya 3-2 and advance to the semi-finals of the QSL Cup at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium on Wednesday.
The rain-affected quarter-final witnessed end-to-end action, two VAR-disallowed goals and a late winner that sent the home supporters into raptures.
Al Markhiya took a deserved lead in the 23rd minute when Sahil Bashir finished clinically from a low cross after a defensive error left him unmarked inside the box. They extended their advantage shortly after the break when Lucas Firmo pounced on a loose ball in the 55th minute, beating a defender in pouring rain to make it 2-0.
Muaither responded strongly once the rain eased. Saez pulled one back in the 73rd minute, latching onto a long ball, surging into the penalty area and firing past the goalkeeper. The Spaniard levelled the score eight minutes later with a superb strike from a tight angle on the right, cleverly controlling a pinpoint cross from Etyan Morales before rounding the advancing keeper.
With both sides pushing for a winner, Muaither captain Albert Luque produced a moment of magic in stoppage time. He deflected home a measured cross from Saez in the 90+3rd minute to complete the comeback and secure a place in the last four.
VAR played a significant role earlier in the contest. In the 25th minute, Luque’s effort was ruled out for a foul after Saez’s shot rebounded off the post. Shortly afterwards, Al Markhiya’s Naby Sarr saw his headed goal from a corner disallowed for an infringement.
The victory marks another impressive display by Muaither in the cup competition and sets up a semi-final clash with one of the remaining teams. Al Markhiya, despite the defeat, showed strong character and will look to regroup in domestic league action.
