Al Ahli notch vital win at Al Taawoun, improving Al Ettifaq see off Abha

Dominant Al Ettifaq ease past Abha

Karl Toko Ekambi grabbed a goal against his former side as Al Ettifaq picked up a commanding 3-0 win against Abha at home on Saturday.

The hosts made a fast start at the Al Ettifaq Club Stadium, with winter signing Alvaro Medran’s free-kick calling Abha goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu into action with the contest just 15 minutes old.

Medran was the creative hub for the hosts, and his swinging corner brought out a fine save from Tatarusanu to deny a point-blank header from Jack Hendry. Abha defender Ibrahim Al Zubaidi was then stationed on the front post to flick over the second quick-fire effort from the former Club Brugge defender.

Tatarusanu completed a hat-trick of sensational saves just after the half hour to tip over a goal-bound effort from Medran. Steven Gerrard’s side had all the possession and attacking intent in the first half, but just didn't have a goal for their efforts.

However, nine minutes into the second half, Al Ettifaq had their reward in somewhat fortuitous circumstances. With Abha comfortably passing the ball around at the back, the ball was passed to midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak, whose ball back at pace to Tatarusanu rolled past his teammate and straight into his own net. 

Al Ettifaq thought they had doubled their advantage when Moussa Dembele turned the ball into the corner after a flowing passing move. After a VAR check, though, the goal was denied for offside.

Yet, soon enough, the Dammam side had the goal they wanted. Georginio Wijnaldum played a perfect ball into the Abha area, which was met with the head of Seko Fofana. Tatarusanu was at full stretch to deny the Cote d'Ivoire international, but Toko Ekambi was on hand to smash in the rebound the pile further misery on his old employers.

With a minute remaining, Fofana registered his second assist of the evening to wrap up the result. The Al Nassr loanee whipped a ball into the box, and Dembele was left unmarked to flick his header past Tatarusanu.

With the win, Al Ettifaq move up a spot in the standings to seventh, while Abha sit second from bottom.

Narey on song as Al Khaleej pick up important win at Al Fateh

Al Khaleej pulled further away from the Roshn Saudi League relegation picture on Saturday evening with a 2-1 victory away to Al Fateh.

The early exchanges at the newly renovated Al Fateh Club Stadium were tight and tetchy, but that soon changed as Al Khaleej forward Khaled Narey turned inside and launched a swirling shot that was tipped over by Al Fateh goalkeeper Jacob Rinne. 

Narey was causing all kinds of problems on the right wing, and the Togolese international soon picked out Fabio Martins with an inch-perfect cross. With the goal at his mercy, the Al Khaleej playmaker could only poke the ball wide.

Two minutes into first-half stoppage-time, the pair combined to devastating effect to open the scoring. Martins provided an outside-of-the-boot pass to Narey at the back post, allowing the former Hamburg attacker to settle himself before lashing the ball home to hand Al Khaleej a deserved lead.

The visitors began the second half on the front foot, and Abdullah Al Salem should have really put his side 2-0 up. However, Rinne got down quickly to smother the close-range shot.

Ten minutes into the second half, Martins thought he had fired his team into a two-goal lead. The Portuguese executed an exquisite volley, only for VAR to confirm that Al Khaleej defender Jung Woo-young had fouled counterpart Lucas Zelarayan in the build-up, and the goal was rightly chalked off.

Moments later, though, Al Khaleej had a second goal. Pedro Rebocho knocked in a free-kick from the left wing, inviting defender Lisandro Lopez to apply a stooping header that just about evaded the grasp of Rinne and nestled in the corner.

Then, with the game heading into the closing moments, Al Fateh sprung into life. First, Cristian Tello beat his man on the edge of the area, but his drive was pushed away by home goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic, before Marwane Saadane netted a towering header on 82 minutes to set up a grandstand finish.

Al Fateh could have completed the comeback, too, had Zelarayan’s late strike not smashed off the upright and out of play when it would have been better to cross. Still, Al Khaleej withstood the late pressure to pick up three vital points.

The victory means Pedro Emanuel’s men have opened a six-point gap above the relegation zone. Al Fateh, meanwhile, slip a spot to eighth.

Al Buraikan the difference-maker in firing Al Ahli to vital victory at Al Taawoun

Feras Al Buraikan struck eight minutes from time as Al Ahli picked up a crucial 1-0 victory over AFC Champions League rivals Al Taawoun on Saturday night.

The Jeddah side started strongly at King Abdullah Sports City, and it required a diligent block from Awn Al Saluli to deny the visitors opening the scoring. Al Buraikan masterfully took down a long ball from Saad Balobaid before exchanging passes with Riyad Mahrez. However, the Saudi Arabia striker poised to shoot, Al Taawoun defender Al Saluli came up with the vital interception at the last possible moment.

With the match heading into first-half stoppage time, Al Taawoun crafted a chance of real quality through Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi. A dangerous long ball from goalkeeper Mailson went all the way through to the midfielder, who was bearing down on goal. Al Ahli goalkeeper Edouard Mendy raced off his line and Al Kuwaykibi clipped the ball over the former Chelsea star, but his effort bounced off the crossbar.

It was then Al Taawoun who thought they had broken the deadlock on the hour, when Musa Barrow curled the ball into the back of the net. Yet the Gambian international was to be denied by an offside flagged on teammate Cristian Guanca.

Moments later, Guanca launched a stinging long-range effort that had to be tipped over by Mendy, as Al Taawoun began to assert themselves. At the other end, Roberto Firmino sent a shot high and wide.

With the encounter seemingly heading to a goalless draw, Al Buraikan had other ideas in the final 10 minutes. A hopeful long pass from Mendy was headed into the air by Al Taawoun defender Andrei Girotto, with Al Buraikan pouncing on the error to display considerable composure and side-foot the ball into the net. It represented his 12th RSL goal of the season, across his time with Al Ahli (eight) and Al Fateh (four).

Girotto could have completed a redemption story in the final minute when the ball dropped to him in the Al Ahli area, but fortunately for the visitors, defender Abdulbasit Hindi came up with a match-defining block.

The win means Al Ahli stay third in the RSL standings and, importantly, have increased their lead over fellow Champions League chasers Al Taawoun to eight points. The Buraidah club sit fifth.