Al-Khalidiya went top of the Premier League with a 7-2 victory over Al-Najma in the opening round of the regular season on 27 August 2026. The away side had nothing to do all evening at first, then made it comfortable. By then the scoreline told you everything you needed to know about the balance of the contest.
O. Al Haj opened the scoring in the twentieth minute, and here's the thing — he was still going strong when he added a second before halftime. Gleison Moreira and M. Al-Humaidan replied for Al-Najma in stoppage time, but the hosts had already been put to bed early. Rickson made it 7-2 with an hour gone, and Al-Khalidiya had one foot in the record books.
R. Hasan picked up a red card in the eighty-third minute, leaving Al-Najma to see out the final quarter with ten men. S. Bouhra missed a penalty in the ninety-first minute, a moment that might have mattered less if the score had been tighter. N. El Otmani wrapped things up with a second goal in the ninety-third minute, and the away end never stopped.
Al-Khalidiya controlled the game with 59 per cent possession and 195 attacks compared to 133 for the hosts. They registered eight shots on target to three, though the accuracy rate sat level at half. The statistics don't lie — when you create that many chances and convert seven, the result follows.
The victory puts Al-Khalidiya at the summit with three points from one game, while Al-Najma sit twelfth on zero. It was a statement win for the visitors, who had lost 3-1 to the same opposition back in May. The gap at the top opens with a statement.