DOHA: Former Espanyol captain Sergio Garcia netted a brace as

Al Rayyan played a near-perfect game to put it past10-man

Al Arabi 2-0 and inch closer to the Qatar Stars League title.

In a game where Rayyan enjoyed an upper hand in all departments

throughout despite missing their top scorer and playmaker Rodrigo

Tabata, Garcia found the back of the net in the 49th and 71st minutes.

Arabi tried to fight their way back, but their hopes were as good as

over when they lost left-back Adel Lamy to a second yellow card

in the 76th minute.

Earlier, Iranian forward Masoud Shojaei struck in the 93rd minute

as Al Gharafa came from behind to beat Al Wakrah3-2.

Sebastian Saez put Wakrah ahead in the 10th minute, but Abdulaziz

Hatem (41st) and Krisztian Nemeth (48th) scored to give Gharafa

thelead. Saez scored his second goal in the 77th to raiseWakrah’s

hopes, but Shojaei put out that with his late effort.