Al-Diriyah claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Al-Khazem in the Pro-League regular season on Thursday evening. The result keeps both sides in the lower half of the table, with Al-Diriyah moving to ninth place on seven points and Al-Khazem remaining eleventh on four.
The decisive moment came almost immediately. A. Al Malki found the net in the third minute, ending a barren spell for his side and giving them a lead they would not surrender. Al-Khazem kept knocking on the door but could not find the equaliser, their best opportunities falling short despite enjoying 54 per cent of possession.
And here's the thing about matches like this — the statistics tell only half the story. Al-Khazem registered 106 attacks and completed 444 passes, yet managed just one big chance created and 0.26 expected goals. Al-Diriyah, by contrast, created three big chances from 83 attacks and registered 1.35 expected goals. The visitors punished them from a corner in the early exchanges, and that efficiency proved decisive.
The match saw its share of disciplinary incidents. Abdurahman Al-Dakheel and Saud Al Rashed collected yellow cards for Al-Khazem in the first half, while Hattan Bahebri went into the book for the visitors late on. Then came the turning point in the closing stages — B. Lage was sent off with a red card in the 90th minute, leaving Al-Khazem to defend their lead with ten men.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the hour mark. Al-Khazem brought on G. N'Koudou, A. Al Shamrani, and three others in quick succession, while Al-Diriyah introduced G. Laborde and O. Rodriguez as they tightened things up. The game was effectively put to bed early in the second half, but the red card added drama to the closing minutes.
For Al-Khazem, this result extends a run of two defeats in four games. They had won their previous two matches against Al-Bukayriyah and Abha, but the momentum has shifted. Al-Diriyah, meanwhile, clawed their way back from a difficult week that included a heavy defeat to Al-Nassr and a loss to Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia.