Al Rayyan produced a scintillating attacking display to beat Al Sadd 4-3 in a pulsating Week 9 clash of 2026-2027 season Doha Bank Stars League at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Sunday, withstanding a spirited second-half comeback from the hosts to claim a memorable victory.

The highly-anticipated Qatar Clasico lived up to its billing, delivering seven goals, end-to-end action and plenty of drama, including a missed penalty by Qatar international Akram Afif deep into first-half stoppage time.

Ahmed Alaaeldin struck twice for Al Rayyan, while Otavio Monteiro and Roger Guedes were also on target as The Lions raced into a commanding 4-1 lead before Al Sadd threatened a dramatic comeback.

For Al Sadd, Roberto Firmino, Giovani Henrique and Akram Afif scored the goals.

Al Rayyan, however, held their nerve to withstand the late pressure and secure a hard-fought victory that propelled them to the top of the standings on goal difference with 21 points.

For Al Sadd, who slipped to third place with 18 points, the defeat was a bitter setback, as their determined comeback fell agonisingly short after conceding four goals inside the opening 28 minutes.