Bounedjah scores brace as Sadd blast eight past Umm Salal

After a 5-0 drubbing of Al Rayyan in their last match, Al Sadd dished out an 8-0 hammering to Umm Salal in the 11th round of the Qatar Stars League at home yesterday.With a brace under his belt, Baghdad Bounedjah stayed as the league’s top-scorer, while Pedro, Khalfan Ibrahim, Morteza Pouraliganji and Ibrahim Majid scored a goal each, besides penalties by Hassan Haydoos and Meshaal al-Shammari.Charismatic captain Xavi had three assists to his name in what was a football masterclass from the former QSL champions.The result meant that the Wolves kept their undefeated streak and are in tied second spot with Lekhwiya, who secured a 2-1 win over Al Kharaitiyat earlier in the evening. Both the teams have 27 points in their kitty but Sadd is ahead on goal difference.Al Sadd scored the first of eight goals in the 11th minute of the game courtesy Bounedjah. Xavi’s long ball picked out Abdelkarim Hassan on the left, who then played the ball to Bounedjah, who converted the ball into a goal from close range.The Wolves continued their attack and were awarded with a second goal in the 24th minute when Xavi’s free kick was headed into the goal by Morteza Pouraliganji. The Iranian international connected with the free kick and sent a looping header over the keeper to make it 2-0.Just a minute later, defender Pedro added a third goal to the score line. The Qatari international intercepted a clearance before curling the ball into the far corner from just inside the box.Al Sadd kept on exploiting the Umm Salal defence and in the 33th minute they won a penalty when Ali Assad was fouled by Umm Salal captain Jawad Ahnash. Haydoos stepped up for the spot kick duty and chipped it into the net for a show-stopping finish.Jesualdo Ferreira’s men ended the first half with four goals to their favour and dominating possession with more than 60 percent of the ball. Al Sadd had five shots on target and four goals while Umm Salal had no shots on target in the opening 45 minutes.Five minutes into the second half Bounedjah scored his second goal of the night off an assist by Xavi. The Spanish superstar caught Bounedjah’s run and played an inch perfect pass to the Algerian striker who just guided it into the net on the near post to compound Umm Salal’s defensive woes.In the 82nd minute Khalfan’s shot from outside the box deflected off a defender into the net to make it 6-0. A minute later, al-Shammari won a penalty and stepped up to take it. He slotted the ball bottom left corner to make it 7-0.Al Sadd were not done yet as Ibrahim Majid’s free kick in the last minute of the game went under the wall and into the goal deceiving the goalkeeper. Bulent Uygun will need to go back to the drawing board after his team’s second defeat in a row and heavy one at that.