Al Duhail Defeat Al Rayyan to Top Group A in QSL Cup

Doha: Al Duhail defeated Al Rayyan 1-0 on Friday at Grand Hamad Stadium in matchday 3 of Group A in the 2024-2025 QSL Cup. Spanish player Luis Alberto scored the only goal for Al Duhail from a penalty in the 25th minute. Mubarak Shanan missed a penalty for Al Rayyan in stoppage time (90+7). With this win, Al Duhail secured their third victory, reaching 9 points and taking the lead in the group. Al Rayyan suffered their first loss, remaining on 6 points in second place. In another match, Al Arabi defeated Al Shahaniya 2-0 at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium. Wassim Qadari scored in the 13th minute, and Palestinian player Ala'a Eldin Hassan added a second in the 22nd minute. Al Arabi secured their second victory, rising to 6 points, tied with Al Rayyan but placed third due to goal difference. Al Shahaniya remained in sixth place with 1 point after their second loss. In the third match, Al Ahli triumphed over Qatar SC 1-0 at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. Spanish player Erik Exposito scored the game's only goal in t he 65th minute, giving Al Ahli their first win and lifting them to fourth place with 3 points. Qatar SC suffered their second defeat and remained in fifth place with 1 point. The third round will conclude on Saturday with two more matches. Umm Salal, the defending champions, will face Al Gharafa at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, while Al Khor will meet Al Shamal at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium. The teams are divided into two groups based on their final rankings in the 2023-2024 league season. Group A includes Al Rayyan, Al Arabi, Al Duhail, Qatar SC, Al Ahli, and Al Shahaniya. Group B consists of Al Gharafa, Al Wakrah, Umm Salal, Al Shamal, and Al Khor. Notably, Al Sadd has withdrawn from the tournament. Umm Salal won the 12th edition of the QSL Cup last season (2023-2024) after defeating Al Arabi 3-1 in a penalty shootout, following a 4-4 draw in the final. Source: Qatar News Agency