Muscat: Al Nasr came out on top in a thrilling 2-1 victory over Sohar on Friday at the Al Saada Sports Complex in the 11th round of the Omantel League. Both teams entered the match with the aim of securing three points. Sohar was looking to win and move into second place in the title race, while Al Nasr was keen to take advantage of home and the support of their fans to break into the top four.
Al Nasr made a bright start to the match and took the lead in the first minute through Waleed Al Musalami, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Sohar responded well and created several dangerous chances in the first 15 minutes but their strikers failed to capitalize.
Al Nasr then took advantage of a quick counter-attack to score the opening goal through Mohammed Abdulhakeem in the 15th minute. Despite Sohar's attempts to equalize, Al Nasr managed to double their lead through Musab al Maamari in the 43rd minute to take a 2-0 lead into half-time.
In the second half, Al Nasr managed to maintain their lead until injury time, thanks to a disciplined defensive performance that limited Sohar's chances. Both teams exchanged attacks during the second half, but there was a lack of concentration in front of goal. Sohar eventually managed to pull one back through substitute Khalil Al Balushi in the 91st minute, but it was too late as Al Nasr sealed a 2-1 victory.
The win moved Al Nasr up to 18 points equal to Sohar in fourth place but Al Nasr remains ahead on goal difference. The win intensifies the competition between the two teams for the fourth spot in the top four.
Al Rustaq edge Al Wahda
Al Rustaq secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Al Wahda on Friday at the Sur Sports Complex in another 11th-round match. The match was very tight between both teams. There were adopting a cautious approach in the first half. Neither side created any clear-cut chances, and the first half ended goalless. Al Rustaq came out stronger in the second half and took the lead in the 86th minute through a header by player Mohammed al Ghafri, catching the goalkeeper of Al Wahda club off guard to give Al Rustaq a 1-0 lead. Al Wahda players worked very hard to find an equalizer in the closing stages, but Al Rustaq players blocked all the chances to secure a valuable victory.
The result moves Al Rustaq up to 11 points, provisionally climbing from 10th to 8th place. Al Wahda, meanwhile, remains in 11th place (second from bottom) with 7 points.
Goalless draw between Ibri and Bahla
Ibri and Bahla played out a goalless draw on Friday in another 11th-round match. The draw leaves Ibri in sixth place with 16 points, while Bahla remains in 12th (bottom) place with 6 points.
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