Al-Ahli's first football team regained its balance in the Saudi Professional League, achieving a valuable and well-deserved victory over its guest Al-Fayha with a score of two goals to nil, in the match that brought them together this evening at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium (The Shining Jewel) in Jeddah, as part of the competitions of the twelfth round of the competition.
The spirit returns to the Yasle Battalion
Al-Ahli entered the match under immense pressure after their defeat to Al-Fateh in the previous round, prompting German coach Matthias Jäissle to deploy his full attacking arsenal from the opening whistle. This early pressure paid off with a quick opening goal in the sixth minute, when English striker Ivan Tony converted a perfectly placed cross from his Brazilian teammate Gabriel Veiga (Galeno) with a shot that found the back of the net, signaling a strong start for the Jeddah-based club.
defensive control and brilliance
Despite Al-Fayha's attempts to get back into the game during the first half and the beginning of the second, Al-Ahli's defense, led by young goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi, held firm. Al-Sanbi was outstanding, making several crucial saves, most notably from a shot by Spaniard Jason Remeseiro and a header by Alva Semedo, keeping a clean sheet and giving his team the confidence to look for a second goal.
The goal of strengthening and the shock of expulsion
In the 64th minute, Brazilian Roger Ibanez secured the victory with a powerful header, capitalizing on another excellent cross from the star of the match, Galinho. However, Al-Ahli's joy was short-lived, as Ibanez was shown a straight red card in the 85th minute after a VAR review for a reckless challenge. This means he will miss the highly anticipated and crucial Saudi Arabian "Clásico" against Al-Nassr in the next round, a significant blow to the team's defense.
The two teams' positions in the standings
With this important victory, Al-Ahli raised its points tally to 22, climbing to fourth place in the Roshan League standings and continuing its climb towards the top spots and the Asian Champions League qualification places. Meanwhile, Al-Fayha's situation worsened as its points total remained at 12, leaving it in eleventh place and continuing its inconsistent run of form this season.
