Al DiriyahW21 Aug · Away Al-Hazem · 1:0D26 Aug · Home Al Kholood · 1:1W29 Aug · Away Al-Ettifaq · 3:0L3 Sep · Home Al-Qadisiyah · 0:2W9 Sep · Away Al-Fateh SC · 2:1D13 Sep · Home Abha · 0:0
0:1
Finished
Kick-off was
BST
Al-Ahli SaudiL1 Sep · Away Al-Hilal Saudi · 0:3W4 Sep · Home Al Riyadh · 5:0L8 Sep · Away Al-Qadisiyah · 2:3W11 Sep · Home Al-Hazem · 3:1D14 Sep · Home Pakhtakor · 1:1L19 Sep · Away Mamelodi Sundowns FC · 1:2
In the Pro League game on 13 August 2026, Al-Ahli Saudi beat Al Diriyah 0:1. Match numbers: shots on target 3:7, corners 8:4.
Match report
Al-Dira'a and Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia opened their Saudi Pro League campaign on Wednesday evening. The visitors secured a 1-0 victory, though the match statistics suggested a different narrative. And here's the thing — Al-Dira'a controlled the ball for most of the ninety minutes without finding a way through.
The turning point arrived at twenty-five minutes when E. Spertsyan found the net. Z. Al Hawsawi had already picked up a booking just six minutes earlier, foreshadowing a physical contest. To be fair, Al-Ahli's defensive organisation held firm through the pressure. By the time the interval approached, the visitors had settled into their shape.
Yellow cards accumulated as the match progressed. V. Atangana and R. Hamidou both received cautions in the second half, while A. Al Malki joined them before the final quarter. Al-Dira'a turned to their bench heavily, making eight substitutions across the full ninety minutes. Three changes came at half-time when Galeno, H. Al Qahtani and C. Mbemba entered the fray.
The numbers tell a story of possession without penetration. Al-Dira'a held 57 per cent of the ball with 401 total passes against 317 for the visitors. They generated 105 attacks and 1.35 expected goals, yet managed only three shots on target. Al-Ahli registered seven shots on target from thirteen attempts, converting one when it counted.
Al-Dira'a sit tenth after five games with seven points from two wins, one draw and two defeats. Al-Ahli occupy seventh place with nine points, three victories and two losses. And here's the thing — this result leaves the home side staring at the drop if form continues. The visitors have shown they can compete away from home.
Prepared from match data
Key numbers
Possession, %57.00–43
Shots on target3–7
Shots off target11–6
Expected goals1.35–0.95
HT🟨6' Z. Al Hawsawi — Yellow card🟨17' I. Gueye — Yellow card⚽25' E. Spertsyan — Goal⇄57' Galeno — Substitution🟨58' V. Atangana — Yellow card🟨61' R. Hamidou — Yellow card⇄68' H. Al Qahtani — Substitution🟨69' A. Al Malki — Yellow card⇄77' C. Mbemba — Substitution⇄77' I. Gueye — Substitution⇄77' C. Diandy — Substitution⇄82' Z. Al Johani — Substitution⇄89' A. Al Faraj — Substitution⇄90' R. Hamidou — Substitution⇄90' Trincao — Substitution⇄90' E. Spertsyan — Substitution🟨90+4' N. Masoud — Yellow card
