Doha Bank Stars League: Week 3 Recap
Doha, September 06 (QNA) - The third week of the Qatari football league, the "Doha Bank Stars League," produced 20 goals across six matches, with five games ending in victories and one in a draw.
The overall goals tally after the opening three rounds has reached 66, with 18 goals scored in the first round, 28 in the second and 20 in the third.
Two red cards were shown during the third round. Qatar SC's Issa Ahmed was sent off in the 12th minute against Al Ahli, while Al Shahaniya defender Sven van Beek received a red card in the 72nd minute of his side's match against Al Shamal.
On the individual level, several players have made a strong impression during the opening three rounds, led by Al Sadd star Akram Afif.
Afif has scored three goals and provided four assists in his first three appearances. He was particularly influential in Al Sadd's third-round victory over Al Gharafa and was named Player of the Match.
Afif is joint-top of the scoring charts with three goals, alongside his Al Sadd teammate Claudinho, Al Shamal striker Baghdad Bounedjah, Lusail players Farhad Ismail and Rodrigo Moreno, and Al Shahaniya's Francesco Antonucci.
Week 3 also recorded the highest attendance of the opening three rounds, with a total of 49,783 spectators attending the six matches.
That figure surpassed the attendance recorded in the first two rounds, which attracted 38,723 and 48,061 spectators respectively, reflecting strong fan engagement with the new league season.
Defending champions Al Sadd retained their position at the top of the standings with a perfect nine points after securing their third consecutive victory, defeating Al Gharafa 4-1.
Al Sadd are the only team to have won all three of their matches this season and also boast the league's strongest attack, having scored 13 goals.
Al Shamal moved into second place on seven points after an impressive 4-2 comeback victory over Al Shahaniya in one of the highest-scoring matches of the round.
Despite falling behind during the game, Al Shamal turned the match around to claim all three points and climb to second place, with their attacking strength playing a key role. They are currently the league's second-highest scoring team with nine goals.
Al Rayyan sit third, also on seven points but behind Al Shamal on goal difference, after drawing 1-1 with Al Duhail in the headline match of the round.
Both teams remain unbeaten. Al Rayyan have recorded two wins and a draw, while Al Duhail have two draws and one victory, leaving them on five points in fifth place.
Al Duhail are level on points with Al Arabi, who secured their first victory of the competition with a 2-0 win over Al Sailiya.
Newcomers Lusail FC secured their first-ever victory in the competition, defeating Al Wakrah 4-0 to move onto four points and sixth place in the standings.
Al Wakrah, meanwhile, remain without a win. They have collected just one point from their opening three matches, following a draw in the opening round and consecutive defeats in the second and third rounds. They remain 11th, second from bottom.
Qatar SC also suffered another defeat and remain without a win, staying 10th with one point.
Their latest loss came against Al Ahli, who claimed their first victory of the league campaign to move onto four points in seventh place, behind Lusail on goal difference.
Al Sailiya are the only team yet to register either a win or a draw after three rounds. They remain bottom of the table without a point.
High Scoring Rate
Week 3 produced 20 goals in six matches, an average of 3.33 goals per game.
The biggest victories were Al Shamal's 4-2 win over Al Shahaniya, Al Sadd's 4-1 triumph against Al Gharafa, and Lusail's 4-0 victory over Al Wakrah.
The round also featured two penalty kicks. Francesco Antonucci converted one to score Al Shahaniya's opening goal against Al Shamal, while Rodrigo Moreno converted the other for Lusail against Al Wakrah. (QNA)
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