DOHA (Interstat) — Matheus Goncalves scored in the 86th minute to restore Al Ahli SC’s lead and send the home side to a 2-1 victory over Al-Gharafa on Monday in their competition fixture. The winning goal came after Florinel Coman had pulled Al-Gharafa level in the 53rd minute, canceling Ivan Toney’s fourth-minute opener. Al Ahli SC improved to 2-0 in the competition and 5-0 across all competitions, while Al-Gharafa fell to 0-2 in the competition and 2-5-3 overall. Al Ahli SC entered on a four-match winning run across all competitions, beating Al Khaleej, Al Fayha, Al Wasl and Al Fateh. Al-Gharafa had drawn with Al Ahli Doha and Al Rayyan before losing to Esteghlal FC, and it remained without a win in this competition.

Toney, who played 90 minutes, needed only four minutes to put Al Ahli SC ahead, finishing for his goal. He was also booked in the 29th minute as the match grew chippy. Al Ahli SC held that advantage through halftime despite Al-Gharafa’s Francisco Diaz being cautioned in the 18th and Jang Hyun-Soo in the 42nd. Al-Gharafa made two changes around the break, with Aladin H. entering in the 43rd and Al Ali R. in the 46th, as it sought a response. Toney’s early finish set a fast tempo, with Al Ahli SC pressing for a second goal before halftime while Al-Gharafa tried to settle through possession.

The response arrived in the 53rd minute when Coman scored for Al-Gharafa. Saifeldeen Fadlalla provided the assist and played all 90 minutes. Coman’s goal came during a 67-minute appearance before he was substituted. It briefly changed the match’s shape, but Al Ahli SC regained control after making changes of its own: Bondarenko A. entered in the 63rd, then Trincao and Eduard Spertsyan in the 64th. The equalizer gave Al-Gharafa renewed energy, though Al Ahli SC’s bench adjustments soon helped steady the home side.

Spertsyan’s introduction proved decisive. The midfielder, who played 64 minutes, supplied the assist on Goncalves’ 86th-minute goal. Goncalves, who was credited with a 90-minute statline, scored the most important goal of the match before being substituted in second-half stoppage time. His goal restored a lead Al Ahli SC protected through a tense closing stretch. Goncalves’ late strike was the decisive moment in a match that had swung back and forth after halftime.

Discipline shaped the closing stages. Sano S. was booked in the 70th and again in the 77th for Al-Gharafa. Al Ahli SC’s Balobaid S. was cautioned in the 74th. Al-Gharafa’s Al Rashidi A. was booked in the 89th, and Sassi F. was cautioned in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. Al-Gharafa also used Ounas A. in the 79th, while Al Ahli SC brought on Sulaiman M. and removed Goncalves in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.

Al Ahli SC’s Matheus Goncalves finished with one goal over 90 minutes, while Coman scored once in 67 minutes for Al-Gharafa. Toney had one goal and a yellow card over 90 minutes, Fadlalla recorded one assist over 90 minutes, and Spertsyan had one assist in 64 minutes. The result continued Al Ahli SC’s perfect overall start and left Al-Gharafa still searching for its first competition win. Al Ahli SC’s defense held firm after Goncalves’ winner, and Al-Gharafa could not find a second equalizer in the closing minutes.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Al Ahli SC 4, Al-Gharafa 1, and its ELO system gave Al Ahli SC an 80.3 percent chance to win. Al Ahli SC was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.75. The total score of 3 went over the over/under line of 3.5.