Saturday's second Qatar Stars League (QSL) game and the final Round 23 fixture saw Championship contenders Lekhwiya leapfrog Al Sadd into the top spot and open up a two point lead after they claimed all three points by beating Al Kharaitiyat 3-0 at the Al Khor Stadium.
Lekhwiya came into the fixture knowing they faced fierce opposition, with Al Kharaitiyat stringing together three straight league wins prior to tonight's game which has given them hope of surviving the relegation zone. Lekhwiya were also hoping to capitalise on Al Sadd's goalless draw with Umm Salal on Thursday evening and open up a gap of two points as the league heads into the final few rounds of the season.
It didn't take long for Lekhwiya to take the lead, with Yousef El Arabi bagging his 23rd goal of the season with just 16 minutes on the clock. Lekhwiya's Ismail Mohamad found some space on the right wing and floated a lovely cross into the six yard box that El Arabi managed to connect with after out jumping both of Kharaitiyat's centre backs, heading it down and easily beating the goalkeeper.
Lekhwiya kept up the pressure and had a number of chances, with the best falling to their South Korean international, Nam Tae-hee, who missed a sitter on the 30th minute when he dragged a simple shot wide of the post from just 12 yards out.
The game opened up for Kharaitiyat and they began keeping possession and creating chances. They would have gone into half time level were it not for the woodwork coming to the aid of Lekhwiya. Kharaitiyat's Rachid Tiberkanine struck a wonderful free kick on the 42nd minute that glided over the wall and had it not smashed into the post would have easily beaten Lekhwiya's goalkeeper at his near post.
Lekhwiya came out in the second half the quicker team and it didn't take them long to double their lead. Ismail Mohamad again provided the assist for El Arabi to latched onto the end of a perfectly weighted ball and chip it over Kharaitiyat's goalkeeper who committed himself and went down early.
Lekhwiya all but guaranteed the three points and the top spot in the league when they made it 3-0 on the 60th minute thanks to Youssef Msakni after he found himself through on goal and just a few yards out after some lovely build-up play from El Arabi and Tae-hee on the edge of the 18 yard box. Quick interlinking passing and clever flicks split Kharaitiyat's defence wide open and left an easy finish for Msakni who shrugged off a backtracking defender to put it into the back of the net.
With just ten minutes left, El Arabi should have made it four and taken his personal tally to 25 when he found himself with plenty of space and time in the 18 yard box. Despite controlling the ball well bringing down the cross, he rushed his shot and dragged it wide.
The final whistle sees Lekhwiya go top of the table with a two point lead over Al Sadd and just three games left to play in this season. Al Kharaitiyat, however, continue to look for points to avoid the drop.

Source: QNA