DOHA, Qatar (Interstat) — In a frenetic and high-scoring season opener for Qatar’s Stars League, Al Wakrah and Al Gharafa played to a 3-3 draw Wednesday night at Stadium 974.

The match, which defied a pregame projection favoring the home side, featured six total goals, dramatic momentum shifts and a last-gasp equalizer deep into stoppage time.

Al Gharafa opened the scoring in the 25th minute through midfielder El Amine Zouhzouh, who finished a chance from the right side. The visiting side doubled its lead just before halftime when substitute Álvaro Djaló, who had just entered the match, found the net in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.

Trailing by two goals at the break, Al Wakrah emerged from the interval with renewed urgency and quickly changed the complexion of the game. Ferjani Sassi cut the deficit in half just six minutes into the second half, scoring in the 51st minute. The comeback was completed 20 minutes later when Yacine Brahimi netted the equalizer in the 71st minute.

The home side’s surge continued as they took their first lead of the night six minutes after that. Luis Alberto scored in the 77th minute, sending the home supporters into a frenzy and putting Al Wakrah ahead 3-2.

As the match entered second-half stoppage time, Al Wakrah appeared poised to secure a comeback victory. However, Al Gharafa delivered a final twist. In the fourth minute of added time, Almahdi Ali scored to snatch a point for the visitors, ensuring the match ended in a share of the spoils.

The intense contest also featured disciplinary actions, with three yellow cards issued. Al Wakrah’s Assim Madibo was booked in the 34th minute. The stoppage-time drama extended to the referee’s notebook as well, with Al Gharafa’s Aron Einar Gunnarsson shown a yellow card in the 11th minute of added time, and Al Wakrah’s Fabricio Díaz booked in the second minute of that extended period.

The result left both teams with identical records in the Stars League standings: 0 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw. Their overall records across all competitions for the season also mirror that mark.

The match outcome contrasted with pregame analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 2-1 victory for Al Wakrah, and its ELO rating system gave the home side a 57 percent probability of winning.

The draw provides each team with its first point of the new Stars League campaign, setting the stage for their continued pursuits in the Qatari top flight.