In a thrilling evening of football at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, Al-Qadisiyah secured a valuable strategic victory against their hosts, Al-Khaleej, with a single goal scored by Italian international striker Matteo Rettigny . This hard-fought win, part of the 20th round of the Saudi Professional League, underscores Al-Qadisiyah's strong ambitions for this season.
This encounter comes amidst an exceptional season for the Saudi Professional League (SPL), which has garnered global attention thanks to its attraction of top international stars, raising the level of competition and making every match a true challenge. In this context, Al-Qadisiyah, one of the most prominent teams in the Eastern Province, seeks to solidify its place among the elite and compete strongly for the top spots that qualify for continental competitions, making every point earned by the team doubly important.
The match began cautiously from both sides, but Al-Khaleej almost opened the scoring after just two minutes when Norwegian Joshua King unleashed a dangerous shot. However, goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar's brilliance prevented the ball from finding the net, turning it behind for a corner. Play continued as a midfield battle before Al-Qadsia gradually began to impose their rhythm. In the 24th minute, Uruguayan defender Gaston Alvarez rose to meet a corner kick and headed it powerfully, but Luxembourg's goalkeeper Anthony Moris was equal to the task. This was followed by a powerful shot from his compatriot Nahitan Hernandez in the 29th minute, but it sailed just over the crossbar.
Four minutes before the end of the first half, Al-Qadisiyah capitalized on a swift and well-organized attack, converting their dominance into a goal. Matteo Retegui a perfectly placed cross inside the penalty area, powerfully placing it into the net in the 41st minute, scoring a goal that underlined his immense value as one of the league's standout signings this season.
In the second half, Al-Khaleej tried to get back into the game and intensified their attacking pressure. They squandered a golden opportunity to equalize in the 55th minute when Greek striker Giorgos Masouras found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but inexplicably shot wide of the post. Al-Qadisiyah responded quickly with a counter-attack in the 58th minute, which nearly resulted in a second goal, but goalkeeper Morris made a brilliant save to deny Retegui. Despite both teams' efforts in the final minutes, the score remained unchanged until the referee blew the final whistle.
With this victory, Al-Qadsia raised their points tally to 43 , strengthening their hold on fourth place in the standings and continuing to pressure the leading teams in the race for AFC Champions League qualification. Meanwhile, Al-Khaleej's points total remained at 25, leaving them in eighth place and further diminishing their chances of competing for the top spots.
