Al-Ahli secured a resounding and well-deserved 4-1 victory over Al-Najma at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, in a match that was part of the 23rd round of the Saudi Professional League. The game saw a remarkable performance from English striker Ivan Tony, who scored a hat-trick, leading his team to overturn a one-goal deficit and secure a comfortable win.
The general context and exceptional season of the Roshen League
This encounter comes amidst an exceptional season for the Saudi Professional League, which has captured global attention after attracting a constellation of the world's most prominent football stars. This transformation, backed by the Public Investment Fund, has raised the level of competition to unprecedented heights, making every match an event followed by millions worldwide. Al-Ahli, returning to the Professional League this season, is one of the four major clubs that have benefited from this project, bolstering its squad with world-class players such as Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Franck Kessié, and Ivan Toni, thus firmly establishing itself as a contender for the top spots.
The importance of winning and its impact on the league standings
With this valuable victory, Al-Ahli solidifies its hold on third place in the league standings, raising its points tally to 53. The significance of this win lies in widening the gap with its closest rivals for this position, significantly boosting its chances of securing a direct qualification spot for next season's AFC Champions League, the club's strategic objective. Domestically, the victory sends a strong message to its rivals that Al-Ahli is capable of staging comebacks in tough matches and achieving impressive results thanks to its formidable attacking prowess.
Match details and Al Ahly's strong comeback
Contrary to expectations, Al-Najma surprised the home side by taking the lead through their Brazilian player, Lazaro, in the 27th minute. Despite Al-Ahli's attempts to equalize, which resulted in a penalty kick missed by Ivan Toni in the 37th minute, the first half ended with the visitors ahead. However, the second half witnessed an Al-Ahli resurgence, starting with Frenchman Valentin Atangana's equalizer in the 48th minute. The sending off of Al-Najma's player, Philippe Cardoso, in the 58th minute proved to be a decisive turning point. Al-Ahli then asserted their complete dominance, and it was the turn of English star Ivan Toni who scored three consecutive goals in the 69th, 87th, and 90+4th minutes, completing his first hat-trick for the club and securing the three points for his team. Meanwhile, Al-Najma's points tally remained at 8, leaving them at the bottom of the table and further complicating their relegation battle.
