Five-star Manama overpower Al Ahli

TDT | Manama                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

Mahdi Abduljabbar-led Manama put in a five-star performance against bitter rivals Al Ahli last night in their 5-1 victory to kick off week 11 of the 2022/2023 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.

Abduljabbar scored an impressive hat-trick in the first half while teammates Mohammed Al Marmour and Ebrahim Al Khattal were also on target on either side of the break.

Abduljabbar opened his account in just the seventh minute with a fine, one-touch effort from the edge of the six-yard box off a precision cross from the right supplied by Ahmed Mirza.

Al Marmour then scored just five minutes later from close range, and then Abduljabbar made it 3-0 in the 33rd minute with a stunning left-footed effort from inside the penalty box.

Ahli were able to get one back in the 43rd minute after Hasan Madan tapped the ball home off a rebound from a curling Jamal Rashid shot that hit the left post.

But then Abduljabbar completed his hat-trick in the second minute of firsthalf stoppage time, giving Manama back their three-goal advantage with another short stab, this time off an assist from Al Marmour.

That earned them a commanding 4-1 cushion at the interval.

In the second half, Al Khattal found the net for Manama in the 54th minute, scoring from the outside edge of the sixyard box off a pass from Abduljabbar, whose initial shot was saved by Ahli goalkeeper Ebrahim Luthfallah.

That pegged the final score and the huge result for Manama.

They came away with their sixth win in 11 outings as they improved to 21 points to go second on the table, behind only leaders Muharraq.

Ahli suffered their fourth loss and dropped to seventh on the standings. In other matches yesterday, Al Shabab stunned East Riffa 1-0 and Al Hala beat Bahrain Club with a same 1-0 score line.

Scoring for Shabab in their victory was Sayed Dhiya Alawi in the 37th minute, when he connected from close range on a deflected shot.

The strike was enough for Shabab to claim only their third win of the league as they improved to 10 points, while East Riffa suffered their fourth loss and stayed on 11 points.

Meanwhile, in Hala’s triumph, Baba Diop supplied the game’s lone goal in the opening 20 minutes of action.

Hala were able to hold on to their advantage the rest of the way, claiming their third win to go to 15 points on the standings.

Bahrain Club were handed their fifth loss and they stayed on 10 markers.

League action continues tonight with another three matches on schedule.

At 4.30pm, defending champions Riffa face off with contenders Al Khaldiya, while at 6pm Hidd take on Budaiya. At 7.30pm, Muharraq play Sitra.