Al Sadd defeated Al Rayyan 1-0 in the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League’s rescheduled match (Qatar Clasico) from Week 14 at the Al Sadd Stadium on Tuesday.

The match was postponed after a number of Al Sadd players were infected with the coronavirus (Covid-19).

Abdelkarim Hassan netted the all-important goal in the 26th minute.

Al Sadd, who were recently crowned as the 2021-2022 QNB Stars League champions, raised their points tally to 59 with their 19th victory.

Al Rayyan stood on 21 points following their 10th defeat.

Al Sadd had beaten Al Rayyan 4-2 in the first leg of this season’s Qatar Clasico.

Al Sadd dominated the first half and Abdelkarim Hassan’s goal gave them a 1-0 half-time lead. The left-back headed in a corner kick taken by Santi Cazorla, catching Al Rayyan defenders and goalkeeper Fahad Younes unawares.

Three minutes after the goal, Baghdad Bounedjah wreaked havoc at the Al Rayyan goal, but his shot was too feeble to beat goalkeeper Fahad Younes.

Bounedjah and Ali Asad combined in the 41st minute, but the duo could not beat the goalkeeper.

Al Rayyan created a dangerous chance in the 44th minute as Yacine Brahimi’s cross from the left bounced off the Al Sadd defence and Shojae Khalilzadeh unleashed a strong shot, but goalkeeper Saad Al Dossari brilliantly saved it.

Al Sadd continued from where they left off in the second half.

However, Al Rayyan attacked vigorously, with Brahimi and spearhead Yohan Boli leading their charge.

Ali Karami’s long-range shot in the 56th minute missed the target by a whisker.

Al Sadd, meanwhile, made a spate of substitutions mainly to strengthen their offence and regained control of the game.

Bounedjah was thwarted by the goalkeeper on two occasions (53rd and 79th minutes).

Al Rayyan sought an equaliser the hard way, but could not beat the Al Sadd defence.

Boli’s free-kick which went wide of the target in stoppage time best exemplified that.