Results in 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League Matchweek 11 set up an exciting prospect for the upcoming Qassim Derby, with arch-rivals Al Raed and Al Taawoun now sitting one point apart in the league table.
With both sides in action on Saturday, Al Raed kicked off the day’s games with an impressive 3-1 home win against Al Orobah; their first victory in the last three outings.
Al Raed found themselves behind after 10 minutes when former Burnley playmaker Johann Berg Gudmundsson floated a set-piece into the box, where it was met by a towering header from Moroccan midfielder Ismael Kandouss to put Al Orobah in the lead.
The side from Buraidah stormed back, though, and within the next quarter of an hour, they had turned the clash on its head. First, left-back Zakaria Hawsawi went on a mazy run into the Al Orobah area on 18 minutes, but lost the ball, which then fell to Saleh Al Amri. He bent a shot beautifully from the edge of the area into the top corner to equalise.
Six minutes later, Algerian playmaker Amir Sayoud delivered an overhead pass towards Karim El Berkaoui, who showed why he is Al Raed’s all-time top scorer, taking it first time with a stunning half-volley into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.
The aforementioned trio combined beautifully 13 minutes into the second period to extend Al Raed's advantage. A move started by El Berkaoui saw him set up Al Amri down the left flank, and the Saudi winger delivered a cross into the far post for Sayoud. Sending the ball back across the goalmouth, club captain El Berkaoui finished in style to put the game to bed.
Later on in Mecca, Al Taawoun knew they needed a win against Al Wehda to keep their city rivals some way from then. However, it was the hosts who pushed on from the start, with Australian forward Craig Goodwin missing a couple of early chances.
At the other end, Musa Barrow’s attempts to add to his six RSL goals this season were met with multiple consecutive blocks by the Al Wehda defence.
Things went from bad to worse for last season’s surprise package when Fahad Al Jumayah misjudged the direction of his backwards pass, allowing winger Abdulaziz Noor to pounce on the ball and round goalkeeper Mailson before slotting home what proved to be the game's only goal.
The combination of Al Raed’s victory and Al Taawoun’s defeat mean the former go into the Qassim Derby at home with the deficit to their eternal rivals reduced to a solitary point. Al Taawoun sit eighth with 15, while Al Raed are a point and a place behind them.
The two sides lock horns at King Abdullah Sports City in Buraidah at 4:20pm next Saturday in Matchweek 12, with more than bragging rights at stake in one of the competition’s most exciting rivalries.
