The 23rd round of the Saudi Professional League witnessed great excitement, as Al-Ula, Abha and Al-Faisaly teams managed to achieve valuable victories that strengthened their positions in the standings, in a round full of goals and strong confrontations that reflect the high competitive nature of the league this season.
General context of the Yellow League
The Saudi Professional League (SPL), the second tier of Saudi football, serves as the primary gateway to the Saudi Professional League (SPL), making it a highly competitive competition for clubs aspiring to reach the top flight. Each season witnesses fierce battles for the two direct promotion spots, as well as the fight for the third and fourth places that qualify for the playoffs. Conversely, there is a brutal relegation battle at the bottom of the table to avoid dropping to the second division. The league has grown in strength in recent years with the recruitment of high-caliber foreign players and coaches, raising the quality of matches and increasing its popularity both domestically and regionally.
Al-Ula continues its brilliance with a hat-trick against Al-Diriyah
In one of the most notable matches of the round, Al-Ula secured a well-deserved 3-1 victory over their guests, Al-Diriyah. Al-Ula displayed a strong attacking performance, converting their dominance into goals through their professional players. Cristian Guanca opened the scoring, Michel Delgado added the second, and Abdul Fattah Adam completed the scoring. Gaetan Laborde scored Al-Diriyah's only goal in the 56th minute. This victory boosts Al-Ula's ambitions to climb the standings and confirms their status as a force to be reckoned with in the title race, while this setback puts Al-Diriyah in a difficult position, requiring them to reassess their strategy for the upcoming rounds.
Abha narrowly defeats Al-Wahda
At Prince Hathloul bin Abdul Aziz Stadium, Abha secured a hard-fought and valuable 2-1 victory over Al-Wehda. The match was evenly contested and fiercely contested. Al-Wehda took the lead through Salman Al-Moasher in the 13th minute, but Abha, eager to return to the Roshan League, displayed remarkable resilience and managed to turn the game around. Ofotso Taira equalized in the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time (45+7), before Sila Sow sealed the win for his team with a goal in the 73rd minute. This victory represents a significant morale boost for Abha in their fight to return to the top flight, while it is a disappointing defeat for Al-Wehda, who are also striving to improve their position in the standings.
Al-Faisaly crushes Al-Anwar with four goals
In the final match of the day, Al-Faisaly had no difficulty securing a resounding 4-1 victory over their guests, Al-Anwar, at Al-Faisaly Stadium. The "Burgundy of Sudair" dominated the game, with Andrew Morato shining by scoring two goals. Luvannor Henrique and Romell Quioto added two more goals in the 47th and 90+2 minutes, respectively. Al-Anwar's consolation goal came from Marlon Santo in the 8th minute. This decisive result solidifies Al-Faisaly's position as one of the strongest contenders for promotion this season and sends a powerful message to their rivals, while further compounding Al-Anwar's struggles at the bottom of the table.
