Doha, Qatar: Al Gharafa yesterday regained second place in the Expo Stars League (ESL) standings after beating relegation-threatened Muaither 2-0 at the Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium.

After a goalless first half in which the Cheetahs hit three shots on target, former Southampton player Lyanco broke the deadlock, rising to net Yacine Brahimi’s corner kick from a close range in 64th minute.

Brahimi sealed the victory 10 minutes later as the Algerian forward received a long pass from goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar to chip the ball in from outside the box past the Muaither custodian Ivanildo Rodriguesdos.

Al Gharafa remained dominant throughout the match particularly in the second half which also saw Ferjani Sassi’s rising header hitting the bar soon after the break. The Pedro Martins-coached side moved to 34 points, gaining a three-point lead over Al Rayyan, who will meet Umm Salal today.

Al Sadd are leading the standings with 37 points as Muaither stayed in 11th position with 11 points.

At the Al Bayt Stadium last night, Al Shamal blanked 10-man Al Markhiya 2-0, thanks to second-half strikes from Faisal Azadi (68th minute) and Ricardo Gomes (84th minute).

Bottom-side Al Markhiya played the entire second half without Tameem Al Muhaza, who was sent off in 45+4 minutes for a dangerous foul against Azadi. Al Shamal, eighth in the standings, moved to 18 points after the win.

Al Rayyan look to continue winning run

Meanwhile, Al Rayyan will look to extend their four-match winning streak when they will meet Umm Salal at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

Coach Leonardo Jardim has warned his side of a tough challenge Al Rayyan face against Umm Salal, who are looking to bounce back from 3-4 defeat against Al Shamal.

“The next match will be difficult, given that Umm Salal are considered as one of the strong teams, so we must provide our best in this match in order to obtain victory,” Jardim said at a pre-match press conference.

Umm Salal coach Patrice Carteron said the team, currently ranked seventh in the standings with 19 points, will enter the game with a positive frame of mind leaving behind the disappointment of Al Shamal loss.

“We must enter the Al Rayyan match with confidence and we are capable of achieving a positive result with motivation, confidence and the team’s capabilities,” said Carteron.

The other match today will pit Qatar SC and Ahli at the Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium. Al Ahli are ninth in the standings with Qatar SC on 10th, trailing the Brigadiers by three points with a tally of 13 points.

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