The home side got off to a dream start, with captain Akram Afif racing onto Youcef Atal’s stunning through pass inside the opening minute and spotting Edouard Mendy off his line, proceeding to lob over the former Chelsea keeper to give Al Sadd the lead.

Al Ahli, yet to be beaten in the League Stage, were not behind for long as their forward line combined to great effect in the 10th minute to draw them level.

Feras Albrikan won the ball off Boualem Khoukhi inside Al Sadd’s penalty box, his cross was headed back across goal by Riyad Mahrez for Roberto Firmino to produce a spectacular overhead kick that gave Meshaal Barsham no chance.

Even though the furious pace to the match dissipated as the first half went on, it didn’t stop Al Ahli from going ahead in the 39th minute as Roger Ibanez swept home from close range after Al Sadd failed to clear a Mahrez corner kick.

Early in the second half, Firmino had the opportunity to get his second after Mahrez set him up with a cutback, however, the Brazilian dragged his attempt wide from the edge of the box.

The Saudi Arabian side continued to create chances but were denied by an alert Guilherme Torres, who blocked Ziyad Aljohani’s effort in the 67th minute before Gabriel Veiga stabbed a shot high over the bar.

Al Ahli made sure of the points in the 81st minute when Ivan Toney managed to hook a pass to Mahrez despite being bundled over by Barsham, giving the Algerian the easiest of tasks of slotting home into an unguarded goal.

Al Ahli will look to cap a near-perfect League Stage campaign when they face Qatar’s Al Gharafa SC while Al Sadd will complete their fixtures with an away trip to Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan, both games to be played in two weeks’ time.