Al Duhail were held to a 2-2 draw by Al Arabi in Week 14 of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium of Al Duhail club on Sunday.

All four goals were scored in the second half, with Ibrahima Diallo (64th minute) and Almoez Ali (69th minute) scoring for Al Duhail, while Ahmed Fathi (84th minute) and Omar Al Somah (88th minute penalty) secured Al Arabi’s goals.

With the result, both teams now have 18 points with Al Arabi staying fifth in the standings due to their superior goal difference, while Al Duhail are in sixth.

As expected in any encounter between both sides, the game started at a fast pace, with each team seeking an early goal to keep them in the driver’s seat of the much-anticipated clash.

The game was evenly balanced, with both teams having a fair share of opportunities that, unfortunately, were not converted. Considering the importance of the match to both teams, it was therefore not surprising that tempers began to fray as the match wore on, with Al Duhail captain Almoez getting a booking in the 30th minute for an argument with the referee. Meanwhile, Al Arabi were reduced to 10 men just at the stroke of regular time in the first half, with Hassan Alaa Aldeen getting the marching orders for a tackle on Kim Moon-Hwan. The Palestinian international was initially awarded a yellow card, which was later made to red after a comprehensive VAR review.

With their one-man advantage, Al Duhail became clearly the better side, with more of the chances falling their way. Assim Madibo could have finally broken the deadlock for Al Duhail three minutes into injury time, but his thunderbolt of a shot from 30 yards, went just inches above the crossbar.

The shot was the last and most meaningful highlight of the first half, as both sides headed into the dugout with the balance even.

The second half resumed, with Al Duhail making a series of darting incursions into Al Arabi’s last line of defence which, however, yielded no fruit.

Al Arabi also had a couple of chances of their own, which were also fluffed.

Diallo ended the wait to give Al Duhail the lead. The Frenchman was perfectly placed to finish a scrambled pass from Lucas Verissimo, off a swerving cross from Ali, with a low right-foot shot.

Three minutes later, Almoez doubled the lead for The Red Knights with a well placed left-footed shot from an assist by substitute Isaac Lehadj, who came in at half-time in place of Luiz Martin Junior.

With all hopes seemed lost, The Dream Team surprisingly got a foot back in the game as Fathi reduced the deficit after finishing off a sublime backheel chip from substitute Abdulla Al Sulaiti.

In what was a remarkable turnaround of the night, Al Arabi were soon awarded a penalty after Verissimo was adjudged to have handled the ball while attempting a headed clearance in the 18-yard-box. Despite Al Duhail’s protests, the call stood and the subsequent spotkick was drilled home by Al Somah to take his season’s goal tally to seven while rescuing a vital point for Al Arabi.

Despite a disappointed Al Duhail’s attempt to regain the lead in the dying minutes of the high-entertaining encounter, Al Arabi stood their ground as they ran away with the spoils shared.