Al-Ettifaq's first football team succeeded in achieving a valuable and well-deserved victory, after turning their deficit by one goal into a dramatic 2-1 win over their host, Al-Kholoud, in the strong match that brought them together on Saturday evening at Al-Hazm Club Stadium in Al-Rass, as part of the eighteenth round of the Saudi Professional League.
First half details: The home team took the lead
The match began with great intensity and a clear desire from both sides to seize the lead. Just fifteen minutes after the opening whistle, the home team managed to impose their will, as Al-Kholoud succeeded in opening the scoring in the 16th minute through the brilliant Argentine striker Ramiro Enrique, who received a perfect pass and fired a powerful shot into the right corner of the net, past Slovakian goalkeeper Marek Rodak, marking the first goal.
Al-Kholoud's ambition did not stop at this goal, and they almost doubled the score were it not for the bad luck that befell the Frenchman Kevin Ndoram, as the post stopped his rocket shot in the 30th minute. On the other hand, Al-Ettifaq tried to return to the score before the break, and they had an opportunity through Radi Al-Otaibi in the 44th minute, but it went astray, before the Dutch star Wijnaldum wasted a clear opportunity in the stoppage time of the first half, so the first half ended with Al-Kholoud in the lead.
Second half: Al-Nawakhda's resurgence and Al-Ghannam's brilliance
At the start of the second half, Al-Ettifaq made tactical changes that quickly paid off, with substitute Khaled Al-Ghannam turning the tide of the match. In the 50th minute, Al-Ghannam capitalized on a perfectly placed cross, powerfully heading it into the net to equalize and bring the game back to square one.
The following minutes saw back-and-forth attempts, with Enrique wasting two chances for Al-Kholoud in the 55th and 66th minutes, while Al-Kholoud's goalkeeper made a brilliant save from a dangerous header by Wijnaldum in the 82nd minute. As the match seemed destined for a draw, star player Khalid Al-Ghannam returned to his heroic role, scoring the decisive winning goal in the 83rd minute with a superb left-footed shot that nestled into the net of Argentine goalkeeper Juan Cuzzani.
The two teams' positions in the standings
With this important victory, Al-Ettifaq raised its points tally to 29, strengthening its position in the safe zone and continuing its quest for a higher ranking befitting the history of the "Knights of Ad-Dahna." This win provides a tremendous morale boost for coach Steven Gerrard's team in the upcoming rounds.
On the other hand, Al-Kholoud Club’s points tally remains frozen at 15, putting the team in a precarious position that requires a review of the situation to avoid getting caught up in the relegation battle, especially with the competition intensifying in the second half of the season.
