1 – 4
“Rayan Hamed broke the deadlock inside eight minutes, giving Al Ahli an early lead and setting the aggressive tone for the visitors' evening.”
Pivotal“Georgios Masouras levelled for Al Khaleej at 1-1, sparking brief hope for the hosts after they had absorbed the early setback.”
Pivotal“Firas Al-Buraikan restored Al Ahli's lead with a goal on the 34th minute, making it 1-2 and shifting the psychological momentum firmly towards the visitors heading into half-time.”
Pivotal“An unfortunate own goal by Ali Al-Salem made it 1-3 — a calamitous moment that came after Al Ahli had already tested the Al Khaleej goal twice in the opening minutes of the second half, with shots from Joshua King and Saleh Aboulshamat both stopped before the error.”
Pivotal“Matheus Gonçalves completed the rout with Al Ahli's fourth goal, putting the gloss on a commanding away performance and sealing a result that will reverberate in the title race.”
Al Khaleej
Al Ahli
Outstanding performance
Al Ahli•DefenderAl Ahli arrived at this Pro League fixture in commanding form and left with a statement four-goal victory that reinforces their credentials at the top of the table. Rayan Hamed set the tempo immediately, striking inside eight minutes to put Al Ahli ahead, though Al Khaleej responded impressively through Georgios Masouras at 17 minutes to restore parity. The match appeared finely poised, but Firas Al-Buraikan's 34th-minute goal on the stroke of half-time tilted the contest decisively in Al Ahli's favour, and Al Khaleej never recovered. The second half unravelled badly for the hosts: Ali Al-Salem's own goal at the 50-minute mark — following sustained Al Ahli pressure that had already tested the goalkeeper twice in the final exchanges of the first half — extended the lead to 1-3 and effectively ended the contest. Matheus Gonçalves added a fourth in the 78th minute to complete the rout. The statistics underline Al Ahli's control: 54 percent possession, 13 shots to Al Khaleej's nine, and four big chances created compared to just one for the home side. Al Ahli's 88 percent pass accuracy against Al Khaleej's 79 percent illustrated the technical gulf. This result will have significant implications in the title race, with Al Ahli's form and points haul making them serious contenders in the final weeks of the season.
How entertaining was this match?
Majed KanabahYellow CardMajed Omar Kanabah receives a yellow card.
Joshua King takes a shot with his head, but it's saved.
Zakaria Al Hawsaw comes on for Saleh Aboulshamat.
Hussain Al-Eisa takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Ricardo MathiasRicardo Mathias takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Ricardo MathiasRicardo Mathias attempts a header but misses the shot.
Ricardo Mathias comes on for Firas Al-Buraikan.
Matheus GonçalvesMatheus Goncalves scores with a left-footed shot.
Bart Schenkeveld replaces Mohammed Al Khabrani.
Hamad Al-Jayzani comes on for Saeed Al-Hamsl.
Matheus Goncalves takes a left-footed shot, but it's saved.
Ziyad Mubarak Al Johani is substituted off for Valentin Atangana Edoa.
Mohamed Abdulrahman is on, and Ali Majrashi is off.
Ivan Toney's header attempt is off target.
Paolo Fernandes takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Mansour Hamzi is substituted off for Bader Mohammed Munshi.
Hussain Al-Eisa comes on for Saleh Jamaan Al Amri.
Own goal! Ali Al Salem scores, making it 1-3.
Mohammed Sulaiman comes on for Merih Demiral.
Saleh Aboulshamat takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Joshua King takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Georgios Masouras takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Firas Al-BuraikanFiras Al-Buraikan scores with a left-footed shot.
Saleh Aboulshamat takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Enzo Millot takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Joshua King takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Ali Majrashi's right-footed shot is saved.
Ali Al Salem comes on for Pedro Miguel Braga Rebocho.
Georgios MasourasGeorgios Masouras scores with a left-footed shot.
Georgios Masouras takes a left-footed shot, but it's saved.
Rayan HamedA VAR decision leads to a goal being awarded to Rayan Hamed.
Rayan HamedRayan Hamed scores with a right-footed shot.
Saleh Aboulshamat takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Georgios Masouras takes a right-footed shot, but it's blocked.
Joshua King takes a header shot, but it misses the target.
Al Ahli, one of the Saudi Pro League's top sides sitting third with 78 points, travel to Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium to face a struggling Al Khaleej side deep in mid-table. With Al Ahli's star-studded roster in blistering form and Al Khaleej desperate for points to climb the table, this cross-region derby promises goals and intensity.
