- 11:55
The second matchday of the Lebanese Championship play-offs confirmed early trends: at the top, the battle for the title is intensifying among the top three teams; at the bottom, the suspense grows as teams fight for survival.
Title Play-offs: Al-Ahed Stands Firm as Leader, Al-Ansar in Pursuit
In the big clash of this second round, Al-Ahed made a strong statement by defeating the reigning champions Nejmeh (1-0) at the Zgharta stadium. In a tough duel, it was center-back and captain Noor Mansour who delivered the win from the penalty spot in the 76th minute. The team reclaimed the top spot with 20 points, one point ahead of the Safa – Al-Ansar duo.
Speaking of which, Al-Ansar responded with authority by beating Sagesse (2-0) in Tripoli. After a tight first half, Hicham Khalafallah (51’) opened the scoring, and Nader Matar (59’) doubled the lead with a clinical header. This victory puts Al-Ansar level with Safa in the standings, both at 19 points.
Safa beat Tadamoun (2-0), Boubane Djordjevic struck again (27’), followed by Yassine El Samia (78’), confirming their credentials as serious title contenders. Tadamoun, with only 7 points, sits last among the top 6.
Standings (after 2 rounds – title play-offs)
1. Al-Ahed – 20 pts
2. Safa – 19 pts
3. Al-Ansar – 19 pts
4. Sagesse – 11 pts
5. Nejmeh – 10 pts
6. Tadamoun Tyr – 7 pts
Relegation Play-offs: Shabab Sahel Stuns Racing, Al-Bourj Stays Alive
The surprise at the bottom came at Safa stadium, where Shabab al-Sahel pulled off a late comeback against Racing (3-1). Trailing since the 20th minute after a goal by Ibrahim Abou Jabal, the coastal team turned it around in the dying minutes: Samad Kadri (87’), Hassan Salameh (90+6’) and Hadi Dakour (90+15’) secured a vital win, putting Shabab at the top of the relegation group.
Meanwhile, Al-Bourj got the job done against Riyadi Abbassiyé (2-1) in Bhamdoun. Ibrahima Sani opened the scoring in the 7th minute, but Ali Kharroubi equalized for Abbassiyé (47’). It was Ibrahima Abdallah Fall who sealed the win late (85’).
Standings (after 2 rounds – relegation play-offs)
1. Shabab al-Sahel – 10 pts
2. Racing – 8 pts
3. Al-Bourj – 10 pts
4. Riyadi Abbassiyé – 5 pts
5. Shabab Baalbeck – 5 pts
6. Shabab Ghazieh – 3 pts
Up Next…
The highlight of the next round will be the fiery derby between Nejmeh and Al-Ansar. At the same time, Safa will aim to keep their momentum against Sagesse, while Al-Ahed faces Tadamoun. At the bottom, nothing is decided yet: the clash between Al-Bourj and Riyadi Abbassiyé could shake things up, and Ghazieh is out of chances—they must beat Shabab al-Sahel.
The finish line is in sight, and every point now carries the weight of gold.
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