Al Duhail: Al Duhail maintained their lead in the Ooredoo Stars League standings after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Al Shahania, raising their tally to 38 points. They kept a narrow one-point lead over closest rivals Al Sadd, who inflicted a heavy 4-0 defeat on Al Gharafa, bringing their total to 37 points.
According to Qatar News Agency, the competition for the title remains fierce with only five rounds remaining. Al Rayyan continued their upward momentum with a third consecutive victory, defeating Al Arabi 2-1 in the Qatari derby, moving up to fifth place with 24 points under the guidance of coach Artur Jorge.
Baghdad Bounedjah from Al Shamal remained the top scorer with 17 goals, despite not scoring in this round. He is closely followed by Al Rayyan's Roger Guedes with 15 goals, and Al Sadd's Rafa Mujica with 14 goals after netting a hat-trick against Al Gharafa. Other notable goal scorers include Akram Afif of Al Sadd with 11 goals and several players with 10 goals each, including Julian Draxler from Al Ahli and Michael Olunga from Al Duhail.
The 18th round of the Ooredoo Stars League will feature a crucial top-of-the-table clash between leaders Al Duhail and fourth-placed Al Ahli at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on March 8. Other significant matches include Al Rayyan facing Al Khor at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Sadd taking on Al Shahania at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, and Umm Salal hosting Al Gharafa at Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium. The round continues on March 8 with Al Wakrah playing against Qatar SC at Stadium 974, and Al Arabi hosting Al Shamal at Al Thumama Stadium.
This season has seen a total of 102 matches played so far, with 85 wins and 17 draws, and an impressive 360 goals scored, averaging 3.5 goals per match. Disciplinary records show 414 yellow cards, 23 red cards, and 49 penalties awarded, of which 35 were successfully converted.
As the league approaches its final stages, fans can expect intense battles on the pitch as teams vie for the top positions and individual players compete for the top scorer title.