Mitrovic and Dembele score again to help Al Hilal and Al Ettifaq win

Al Ettifaq v Al Okhdood – Man of the Match: Moussa Dembele

For the second game in a row, a second-half Moussa Dembele strike secured all three points for Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq to continue their perfect start to the 2024-25 Rohsn Saudi League season.

This time, Al Okhdood were the latest victims of the former Celtic forward as the team from Dammam picked up a second consecutive 1-0 win at Al Ettifaq Club Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Dembele showed his intent early on when he was set up by Vitinho, who had intercepted the ball deep inside Al Okhdood’s area. The Frenchman danced past two defenders and looked to find the bottom corner, but his drilled shot was parried away by goalkeeper Paulo Vitor.

The hosts then thought they had taken the lead when Karl Toko Ekambi exchanged passes with Seko Fofana before slotting into the far corner, but the Cameroonian had just strayed offside for the return pass. Slovakian goalkeeper Marek Rodak continued to prove his quality with a string of key saves, denying Saviour Godwin and Sebastian Pedroza to keep a second clean sheet in as many Al Ettifaq appearances.

At the other end, the winning goal arrived in the 63rd minute. Dembele showed his poacher's instinct to get on the end of an attempt by Abdulaziz Al Hatila to clear the ball. The 28-year-old needed only one touch to bury his shot from inside the box for his second goal of the campaign, bringing home the three points and the RSL Man of the Match award for the second successive game.

Al Hilal v Damac – Man of the Match: Musaab Al Juwayr

Reigning champions Al Hilal survived a scare at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sports City in Riyadh, coming from behind to defeat Damac 3-2 in a thrilling affair.

At the end of a cagey first half, it seemed like it would be business as usual for the side who last tasted defeat in the RSL back in May 2023. Aleksandar Mitrovic rose highest to head home the opener after Mohammed Al Qahtani’s initial shot was blocked before falling into the path of the Serbian inside the box.

Damac returned reinvigorated after the restart and, within four minutes, they had restored parity. Ramzy Solan beat Ali Al Bulayhi to the ball on the right flank and squared for Francois Kamano, leaving the former Abha winger to produce an improvised finish that saw the ball awkwardly lob Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bono.

Three minutes later, Senegalese forward Habib Diallo evaded his marker - countryman Kalidou Koulibaly - to get on the end of a Solan cross and turn the tie on its head. Damac, one of only three teams to take points off Al Hilal last term, looked headed for a famous win.

However, the introduction of young midfielder Musaab Al Juwayr to replace Abdullah Al Hamdan proved to be a turning point for Jorge Jesus' side. On 73 minutes, the 21-year-old was perfectly positioned to volley home after Damac goalkeeper Florin Nita failed to clear the ball properly.

Six minutes from time, Al Juwayr was lucky enough to see Renan Lodi’s cross deflect off him and find its way to Mitrovic, who produced an intelligent flick to send the ball into the back of the net for his second brace in a row. The touch won the game for Al Hilal and established Mitrovic as the early frontrunner in the race for the 2024-25 RSL golden boot.

Al Wehda v Al Orobah – Man of the Match: Odion Ighalo

The visitors had barely touched the ball two times by the time Odion Ighalo put it in the back of the net for the fastest goal of the 2024-25 season. The Nigerian got on the end of a 16-pass move to convert Mohammed Al Makahasi’s squared pass into the net inside 48 seconds to put Al Wehda in front.

Al Orobah quickly regrouped and, by the 32nd minute, they had opened their account in the RSL. Former Burnley midfielder Johann Berg Gudmundsson, a recent recruit, whipped in a cross from the corner that was met by a powerful header from Ziyad Al Hunaiti for the newly promoted side’s first goal of the campaign.

The team from Sakakah then thought they had turned things around when Croatian midfielder Karlo Muhar rifled in from the edge of the box via the crossbar, but following a VAR check, the goal was ruled out as Gudmundsson was deemed to have fouled the goalkeeper in the build-up.

Yahya Naji, who had come in as a 16th-minute substitute for the injured Nawaf Al Azizi, was left to rue his luck when he was sent through on goal by an exquisite Craig Goodwin pass, but his finishing touch lacked a little accuracy, and the ball passed agonisingly close on the wrong side of the upright.

Al Wehda's new signings, Alexandru Cretu and Mourad Khodari, made an instant impact upon their introduction halfway through the second half. The Romanian pounced on a loose ball inside Al Orobah’s half and supplied a perfectly weighted through pass for Khodari. The 20-year-old, the son of former Al Wehda player Mohammed Khodari, marginally beat the offside trap and slotted home for his second goal in as many games to continue his dream homecoming.

The goal extended Al Wehda’s positive start to life under new manager Josef Zinnbauer, with four points collected from their opening two games.