Al Hazem stage amazing fightback at Al Nassr, Sakala the man for Al Fayha

Sakala on song as Al Fayha get the better of Al Raed

Fashion Sakala came up with a goal and an assist for Al Fayha to secure a 2-1 victory at Al Raed on Thursday evening. The side from Al Majma’ah are back on song and have now registered three victories in a row since the return of Roshn Saudi League action, having previously lost their past five.

It was the visitors who created the two chances of note in the first half. In the 35th minute, Al Fayha’s Moroccan midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri stung the palms of Andre Moreira with a long-range free-kick, while the Al Raed goalkeeper was called into action in the closing stages to gather the ball after a lightning-quick counter led by Henry Onyekuru.

Sakala then had a hand in Al Fayha’s opener at the start of the second half. After a jinking run down the right wing, the Zambian beat his defender before standing the ball up at the near post. Midfielder Nawaf Al Harthi timed his run to perfection, sending a header from five yards out past Moreira.

However, Al Raed found parity only five minutes later through the head of veteran attacker Julio Tavares. Mohammed Al Subaie stood over a free-kick 40 yards out, then curled in a dangerous ball into the Al Fayha area. The Cape Verdean came up with a deft flick, which got the better of substitute goalkeeper Abdulraouf Al Duqail.

The complexion of the contest changed in the 63rd minute, though, when Al Raed’s Norwegian midfielder Mathias Normann was shown a straight red card for serious misconduct.

Al Fayha immediately made their numerical advantage count, as Sabiri cracked a shot from the edge of the box that had goalkeeper Moreira scrambling. With 14 minutes remaining, Sakala capped off a fine individual performance by scoring the winner with a masterful counter-attack goal.

Al Fayha quickly turned over the ball in midfield, Sultan Mandash provided the through pass, and Sakala simply guided the ball into the bottom corner with the poke of his right boot.

It marked Sakala’s 14th goal contribution – 10 goals, four assists – in what has been a debut season to remember.

Al Wehda and Al Taawoun share spoils in six-goal thriller

Al Taawoun attacker Mateus Castro grabbed a brace and also conceded a penalty, as his side and Al Wehda split six goals in a frantic 3-3 draw on Thursday.

Al Wehda had the better of the early exchanges and registered their first chance of note when Craig Goodwin controlled a cross from Vito van Crooij in the penalty area. However, the Australian international’s subsequent shot was lacking the power to beat goalkeeper Mailson.

With 20 minutes on the clock, Al Wehda opened the scoring through a familiar face. The ball bobbed around the Al Taawoun box after a corner, leaving former Manchester Utd striker Odion Ighalo to turn home from close range.

VAR was called into action to check on a push in the box from van Crooij on defender Fahad Al Abdulrazzaq, but the goal was eventually given.

Just eight minutes later, Al Taawoun bounced back thanks to a breakaway goal from Musa Barrow. After latching onto a lofted pass, the Gambian international sprinted away from the chasing Al Wehda defence before dispatching a left-footed strike that arched into the far corner.

On 35 minutes, Al Wehda took the lead once more. Defender Ali Makki cut back the ball to the penalty spot, leaving Faycal Fajr time to take a touch before smashing home. His shot hit both posts before crossing the line.

Yet there was still time in the first half for the see-saw encounter to swing back in the other direction. This time, Barrow turned provider, curling in a ball to the back post for an unmarked Castro to dive in to make it 2-2. 

The pace of the game cooled somewhat in the second half, but that didn't stop the hosts taking the lead for a third time in the final 15 minutes. A deep corner fell to Goodwin at the edge of the box, who thumped a shot goal-bound, which on first viewing seemed to be blocked by Castro.

VAR picked up a handball, though, and after a review, the penalty was given. Ighalo duly stepped up to notch his 12th goal of the RSL campaign.

Al Taawoun pressed for a leveller in the closing stages and deservedly made it 3-3 with five minutes to play. After patient build-up play, Brazilian Flavio was picked out on the left wing, and his cross to the near post was met with another diving header from compatriot Castro.

Arrowing into the bottom corner, it proved to be the final act of a thrilling contest at the King Abdulaziz Sports City.

Talisca hat-trick not enough as Al Hazem seal sensational 4-4 draw at Al Nassr

Anderson Talisca bagged a hat-trick, but it wasn't enough as Al Hazem defender Paulo Ricardo scored a 99th-minute equaliser to hold Al Nassr to a dramatic 4-4 draw in Riyadh.

The major talking point pre-match was the absence of Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who was handed a one-game suspension earlier in the day. Initially, though, that didn't matter for the team sitting in second in the RSL against the table’s bottom side, for the hosts opened the scoring at Al Awwal Park just after the half hour.

Sami Al Naji fell inside the Al Hazem area under a challenge from defender Ricardo and, after a VAR review, Talisca’s penalty found the back of the net. It did just avoid the grasp of opposition goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen.

At the beginning of the second half, Al Nassr defender Aymeric Laporte handed Al Hazem a way back into the game. A corner from playmaker Toze was flicked inadvertently to the back post by the former Manchester City star, and Ahmed Al Mhemaid was on hand to pull Al Hazem level with a simple header.

However, Talisca put his side 2-1 up just after the hour mark following some sensational build-up play. Defender Alex Telles curled in a perfect cross to Sadio Mane, who nodded down to Ayman Yahya, who in turn squared the ball for Talisca to tap in, much to the delight of Al Nassr coach Luis Castro.

To their credit, Al Hazem continued to believe and, within five minutes, the ever-influential Toze found the back of the net to draw his side level for the second time. After seizing the ball, Ahmed Al Juwaid found the feet of the Portuguese creator, who pushed on before calmly slotting into the bottom corner.

As the match turned yet another way, Talisca sealed his hat-trick in the 71st minute. Not for the first time, Telles provided a telling cross, and the Brazilian out-jumped his marker to register his 16th goal of the RSL campaign.

But that did not deter Al Hazem. With six minutes of normal time remaining, the visitors made it 3-3 through the ingenuity of striker Faiz Selemani. A deflected shot bounced dangerously in the Al Nassr area, and the Comoros international instinctively opened up his body to turn the ball into the back of the net.

Al Nassr, trying to stay hot on the heels of RSL leaders Al Hilal, then thought they had grabbed the winner in the fourth minute of injury-time. Yet again, Telles whipped a dangerous cross into the box and, as Dahmen went to punch away the ball, his fists connected with the face of Meshari Al Nemer.

After an extensive VAR review, the penalty was awarded, leaving Mane this time to thrash the ball home for 4-3. Watching on from the stands, Ronaldo breathed a huge sigh of relief.

That joy, though, proved to be short-lived, as Ricardo came up with a 99th-minute leveller to stun the home crowd. Selemani supplied the corner that fell to the Brazilian, who netted from close range.

Al Hilal can now open up a nine-point lead on city rivals Al Nassr with a win in the Saudi Clasico against Al Ittihad on Friday night. Al Hazem, meanwhile, will look to use their incredible fightback as a springboard to avoiding relegation.