Al-Sadd strengthened its third position in the Qatari Football League after overcoming Al-Rayyan 2-0 on Friday, in the twentieth stage, which witnessed a valuable victory for Qatar over Al-Gharafa with a clean goal, to preserve all its chances in the competition for fourth place.

Al-Sadd raised its tally to 41 points, narrowing the difference with Al-Arabi II to two points, and with leaders Al-Duhail to four points, leaving behind very few hopes of competing for the title it held in the past two editions.

The wounds of Al-Rayyan, who suffered the eleventh loss, deepened, contenting themselves with a point from the last four matches, to freeze its balance at point 17 in the ninth place temporarily, one point behind the eleventh and penultimate place, which leads to the relegation playoff to the ranks of second-division clubs.

Al-Sadd dominated the course of the first half, wasting a torrent of easy opportunities in front of Al-Rayyan's goal, so he waited until the 70th minute to open the score through former Qatari national team player Rodrigo Tabata, who took advantage of Akram Afif's pass and turned it into the net (70).

Al-Rayyan pressed in the last third of the hour, and Ivory Coast's Johan Boley missed two opportunities in front of the goal, before his teammates completed the match incompletely after defender Mohamed Ayyash was sent off with a second yellow card (80). 90+6).

On the other hand, Qatar ignited the competition for fourth place after achieving a valuable victory over Al-Gharafa 1-0, raising its tally to 32 points in fifth place and lagging behind Al-Gharafa, who temporarily retained its fourth position, on goal difference, amid a threat from Al-Wakrah, which has thirty points, and faces Al-Arabi on Saturday.

The team of Moroccan coach Youssef Sifri started the match perfectly, imposing its control over the course, and scoring the only goal through the Iraqi Bashar Resen, who reached the Moroccan Badr Bannoun’s long pass to bypass the defender and hit the ball beautifully in the far corner (22).

In a third match, Al-Markhiya achieved its second successive victory over Al-Shamal within a week, 3-1, after winning a postponed match 2-1, to raise its score to 24 points, consolidating its seventh position in the standings table.

The Moroccan coach Hisham Jedran's team officially guaranteed staying in the first division for another season, after moving away from the accounts of the late positions, while the North's balance was frozen at point 17 in the tenth place temporarily, and it threatened to fall back to the penultimate position leading to the relegation supplement.

Despite Al Shamal's possession of the ball, Al Markhiya was the most effective offensive player.

Algerian Ayoub Ezzi won a penalty kick after a mistake committed by Dutchman Luke Landry, and Moroccan Idris Fotouhi successfully executed the kick in the last minute of the first half (45).

Guinean Jose Correa added the second goal to Al-Markhiya in stoppage time, taking advantage of Ali Al-Marri's cross (45 + 3), before Al-Shamal narrowed the difference through Al-Markhiya player Eid Balghith by mistake (67).

However, Fotohi killed the match with the third goal after a header from substitute Ali Al-Mohannadi's cross (83).
The twentieth round ends on Saturday with three confrontations, where Umm Salal will meet with Al Duhail, Al Arabi with Al Wakrah, and Al Ahly with Al Sailiya.