“Essam Bahri picks up two yellow cards in the same minute for fouls, highlighting the physical battle unfolding as Al Kholood pushed for a breakthrough.”
“Rodrigo Abascal heads home in stoppage time to double Al Riyadh's lead and put the result beyond doubt.”
Pivotal
Al Riyadh
Al Kholood
Outstanding performance
Al Riyadh•DefenderAl Kholood controlled the game almost from start to finish, racking up 60% possession, 14 shots and 11 corners to Al Riyadh's zero, yet found themselves undone by their opponent's clinical edge. Al Riyadh managed just 11 dangerous attacks all match but converted two of their five shots on target, with Kader Keita breaking the deadlock in the 65th minute after a scrambled corner routine, and substitute Rodrigo Abascal heading home a stoppage-time second after a flurry of late chances. The result is a huge marker for Al Riyadh in the title race given their position in the table, while Al Kholood will be frustrated to have created so much - including two big chances and 14 shots - without reward. A frantic finish, with ten substitutions and a late card, underlined how much both sides threw at the closing stages, but it was Al Riyadh's defensive resilience and finishing that decided it.
How entertaining was this match?
Hussain Al-Raqwani takes a left-footed shot, but it is saved.
Abdulilah Al Tale takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Rodrigo AbascalRodrigo Abascal scores with a left-footed shot.
Goal! Rodrigo Abascal scores, making it 2-0.
Rodrigo Abascal's header is saved.
Yaseen Al-ZubaidiYellow CardYaseen Al-Zubaidi receives a yellow card.
Teddy Okou takes a left-footed shot, but it's saved.
Yaseen Al-Zubaidi takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Shaquille Pinas takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Corner awarded.
Corner awarded.
Abdulrahman Al-Dosari takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Mohammed Al-Rashdi comes on for Ramzi Solan.
Battal Al-Harthi comes on for Fahad Al-Jayzani.
Osama Al Boardi comes on for Hassan Al-Ali.
Rodrigo Abascal attempts a left-footed shot but misses.
On comes Hussain Al-Raqwani, off goes Hussain bin Asaad bin Alawi Al Shurafaa.
Seydouba Cisse takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Abdulrahman Al-Dosari comes on for John Buckley.
On Yaseen Al-Zubaidi comes off, and Mohammed Hussain Sawan replaces him.
Abdulilah Al Tale comes on for Essam Bahri.
Hussain Qasim is substituted off for Hazazi Sulaiman Yahya.
Kader KeitaKader Keita scores with a right-footed shot.
assist: Sulaiman Hazazi
Goal! Kader Keita scores to make it 1-0, assisted by Hazazi Sulaiman Yahya.
Seydouba Cisse takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Corner awarded.
Shaquille Pinas takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Hassan Al-Ali's right-footed shot is blocked.
Iker Kortajarena Canellada takes a shot with his head but misses.
Corner awarded.
Corner awarded.
Seydouba Cisse takes a left-footed shot, but it is saved.
Corner awarded.
Yellow card shown to Essam Bahri.
Seydouba Cisse's right-footed shot is saved.
The first half ends with a score of 0-0.
Corner awarded.
Coba Gomez da Costa takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Kader KeitaYellow CardKader Keita receives a yellow card.
Mansour Camara attempts a header but misses the shot.
Offside.
Corner awarded.
Coba Gomez da Costa takes a right-footed shot, but it's blocked.
Corner awarded.
Coba Gomez da Costa takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Essam Bahri takes a left-footed shot that hits the post.
John Buckley receives a yellow card.
Seydouba Cisse takes a right-footed shot, but it is saved.
Corner awarded.
Offside.
Shot from Hazazi Sulaiman Yahya with his left foot is blocked.
Kick-off has started!
Al Kholood ride into Riyadh full of confidence after beating Al Shabab, aiming to extend their impressive unbeaten start to the season. Al Riyadh, mired in a rough patch and sitting deep in the table, will lean on recent head-to-head history against this opponent for hope.
