Akram Afif registered a hat-trick as Al Sadd bounced back to winning ways with a thumping 3-0 win over Qatar SC in Week 15 of the 2023-2024 Expo Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium of Al Sadd club on Friday.

Afif scored a field goal in the 34th minute and the next two from penalties in the 44th and 45+7 minute.

The win took leaders Al Sadd’s tally to 35 points, while Qatar SC stood on 13 points, also from 14 matches.

Qatar SC, who had also suffered a loss to The Wolves in the first leg (1-3), had few answers against an attacking Al Sadd and while they did hold on well in the second session and also had a few raids at the opposite goal, they could not manage to score.

It took a little time at the start for Al Sadd to get going with Qatar SC putting up a good defence. In the 19th minute, Afif broke in from the left and beat defenders inside the box as well, but his shot failed to beat goalkeeper Sataa Al Abbasi who made a good save.

Five minutes later, there was a scare for Al Sadd as Qatar SC’s Sebastian Soria caught on to a long lob pass and dashed into the box, but his diagonal shot went past the outstretched left hand of goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb and just wide of the right post.

In the 29th minute, Afif was in a one-on-one situation inside the box, but his kick missed the target.

The deadlock was broken soon when Al Sadd’s Gonzalo Plata ran down the goalline, beating defenders before sending in a measured cross for Afif to coolly deflect it into the goal.

Qatar SC seemed a bit unlucky as 10 minutes later Ali Karami while trying to clear a ball just inside the box landed his foot on the stomach of an inrushing Hassan Al Haydous and the referee called for a penalty kick. Afif stepped up and doubled his team’s lead.

Qatar SC suffered more woes just before the half-time whistle when Ibrahim Abdulmajed made a slide in the danger area to cut off an advancing Afif. VAR check confirmed the referee’s decision for another spot kick and Afif scored again this time getting his 17th goal of the season.

After the break, Qatar SC showed a staunch defence, but their attempts to make a breakthrough into the rival den could not bear fruits.

In the 63rd minute, Eisa Ahmad made a powerful kick at the goal, but goalkeeper Al Sheeb cut it off in time.

In the 89th minute, Qatar SC substitute Bruno Ramos had a similar, but a more threatening strike staved off by Al Sheeb who leapt high to punch the ball over the goal.