Al-Ahli's first football team continued its strong performances and consecutive victories in the Saudi Professional League, achieving a wide and well-deserved victory over its guest Al-Khaleej with a score of 4-1, in the exciting match that brought them together on Tuesday evening at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah, as part of the seventeenth round of the competition.
This victory was not just a fleeting three points, but came to confirm the strong character of “Al-Raed”, which succeeded in turning its deficit of an early goal into a resounding victory, achieving its sixth consecutive win, which reflects the technical and mental stability that the team has been experiencing recently, and its fierce desire to compete strongly for the advanced positions in the standings.
Returning to the match itself, the first half was characterized by competitiveness and caution. Al-Ahli nearly opened the scoring early in the eighth minute through Algerian star Riyad Mahrez, but his hesitation in shooting squandered the opportunity. Contrary to expectations, the visitors surprised the home side with a goal in the 19th minute through Greek player Giorgos Masouras, who capitalized on a perfectly placed cross to head it into the net. Al-Ahli attempted to equalize before the end of the first half, but their efforts were thwarted by a well-organized Al-Khaleej defense.
The tables turned completely in the second half, a tactical battle between the two sides, as Al-Ahli, led by their English star Ivan Tony, roared back into action. The comeback began with a dangerous chance for Ali Majrashi, which the Al-Khaleej goalkeeper saved with difficulty, before Tony established himself as the undisputed man of the match. Tony equalized in the 59th minute with a superb volley, then put his team ahead in the 67th minute, following up on a shot from Brazilian Galinho that was parried by the goalkeeper.
The English star wasn't finished there, completing his hat-trick and scoring his team's third goal in the 77th minute, capitalizing on a brilliant pass from teammate Riyad Mahrez, thus cementing his status as one of the league's top strikers. Before the final whistle, defender Ryan Hamed capped off the goal fest by scoring the fourth goal in the 86th minute, taking advantage of a defensive mix-up inside the penalty area.
With this great victory, Al-Ahli Club raised its points tally to 37 points, strengthening its position in the circle of the big clubs and sending a strong message to its competitors, while Al-Khaleej Club’s tally remained frozen at 24 points, keeping it in the middle of the standings, and demanding a review of its calculations to return to the path of victories in the upcoming rounds.
