Round 8 Drama at Qatar Stars League: Ten-Man Wins, Late Goals, and a Tight Table
26 October 2025
Round 8 Highlights
Today marked the close of Round 8 in the Doha Bank Qatar Stars League as Al-Sailiya edged Al-Shhania 1-0 at Al-Khor Stadium, while Qatar defeated Umm Salal 2-1 after early drama, and Al-Rayyan beat Al-Wakrah 2-0 at Saud bin Abdul Rahman Stadium.
The weekend also saw 10 goals across three other fixtures, keeping the title race tight and the scoreboard buzzing like a busy airport lounge. Al-Gharafa defeated Al-Ahli 3-1, Al-Arabi beat Al-Sadd by the same score, and Al-Duhail beat Al-Shamal 2-0.
With the round finished, Qatar sit top on 17 points, one point ahead of Al-Gharafa in second, three ahead of Shamal in third, and four clear of Al-Rayyan in fourth.
Al-Duhail sit fifth on 11 points, a goal difference behind Al-Wakrah in sixth; Al-Sadd occupy seventh with eight points, one behind Al-Arabi in eighth; Al-Sailiya ninth on six, level with Umm Salal and Al-Ahli in tenth and eleventh; Al-Shahaniya sit bottom on four.
The Qatar vs Umm Salal clash was tense and dramatic throughout, as Qatar secured a 2-1 victory with ten men from the 14th minute after Ahmed Bader Siar received a second yellow.
Umm Salal also threatened when Rami Sohail broke through and fired narrowly wide in the 27th.
Qatar's crossbar denied a thunderous strike from outside the box by Osama Tanan in the 39th.
Seizing the advantage, Umm Salal equalized in stoppage time as Rami Sohail headed home a cross to level the score.
Qatar leveled from a 51st-minute penalty converted by Joao Pedro, while Rami Sohail wasted another attempt for Umm Salal in the 58th.
Deep into the final minutes, Joao Pedro fired a low shot from outside the box for Qatar's second at 85', sealing a 3-point win while playing with ten men.
The Shahaniya–Sailiya duel was intense and physical; Sailiya seized the lead with a 35th-minute header by Diego Amaro after a video review.
The second half saw Shahaniya push hard, but Sailiya's defense and goalkeeper held firm, preserving their 1-0 lead as Shahaniya's late attempts were repelled.
Al-Rayyan vs Al-Wakrah featured a strong finish to Round 8; a late first-half goal saw Rodrigo Moreno convert a low cross in the 36th minute to give Rayyan a 1-0 halftime lead.
In the second period, Wakrah pressed hard, but Rayyan's goalkeeper Mahmoud Abu Nada stood tall; Rayyan doubled the lead in the 81st when Roger Gudes pounced on a loose ball and scored.
Rayyan also announced that Alexander Mitrović suffered a calf strain and would undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation program.
Punchline: If football were a sniper, this weekend would be a montage of precise headshots—every goal a clean hit. Punchline 2: My fantasy team is thriving… in my dreams; in reality, I’m just cheering for the snacks at halftime.
