DOHA, Qatar (Interstat) — In a stunning opening-day upset that defied statistical projections, Al Arabi delivered a commanding 5-1 victory over Qatar SC in a Stars League match on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, at Suheim bin Hamad Stadium.

The visiting Al Arabi side, which entered the match with only a slight statistical edge, dismantled the home team with a ruthless first-half display, scoring four times before the break to seize control of the contest. The final scoreline was a dramatic reversal of the pregame simulation by Interstat, which had projected a 2-1 victory for Qatar SC. The firm’s ELO system had given Al Arabi a 53.40 percent probability of winning, a forecast the team vastly exceeded with its dominant performance.

The match began with a flurry of early disciplinary action, setting a physical tone. Al Arabi’s Raoul Danzabe was shown a yellow card in just the second minute, followed by Qatar SC’s Mus’ab Battat in the 22nd minute. The game’s complexion changed entirely moments later when Al Arabi’s Pablo Sarabia opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a left-footed strike.

Al Arabi’s attack continued to press, and the pressure yielded a second goal just ten minutes later. Michael Olunga found the net with another left-footed effort in the 34th minute to double the visitors’ lead. Sarabia then secured his brace before halftime, scoring his second left-footed goal of the match in the 40th minute to make it 3-0.

The first-half onslaught was capped off in stoppage time by defender Niall Mason, who powered a header into the goal in the 45th+5 minute, sending Al Arabi into the break with a commanding 4-0 advantage.

The second half saw no let-up from the visitors. Olunga matched his teammate Sarabia by notching his second goal of the game just five minutes after the restart, scoring with a header in the 50th minute to extend the lead to an insurmountable 5-0.

Qatar SC managed to find a consolation goal and avoid a shutout in the 81st minute when substitute Yazan Al Naimat scored with a right-footed shot. The goal provided little solace for the home supporters as the team was comprehensively outplayed on its own pitch.

The match concluded with a flurry of yellow cards, including one for Qatar SC’s Motaz Majid Al Bistamy in the 86th minute, bringing the game’s total to seven cautions.

The offensive explosion was fueled by a series of key performances, particularly from Al Arabi’s substitutes. Michael Olunga and Pablo Sarabia led the way with two goals apiece, while Yazan Al Naimat came off the bench to score Qatar SC’s lone goal. The playmaking was spread throughout the Al Arabi squad, with assists credited to Naif Al Hadhrami, Motaz Majid Al Bistamy, Jassim Al Hail, João Pedro, and Raoul Danzabe. Qatar SC’s Mus’ab Battat was also credited with an assist on his team’s goal.

With the result, Al Arabi begins its Stars League campaign with a record of 1 win and 0 losses, a perfect start across all competitions this season. For Qatar SC, the heavy defeat marks an 0-1 start to both the Stars League and its overall season, a disappointing opening that fell far short of pregame expectations. The lopsided victory immediately establishes Al Arabi as a formidable force in the early stages of the Qatari top-flight season.