Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia 3-1 Al-Khazem: Toney Double Seals Victory
Saudi Pro League, Regular Season - 7 | Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium
Final Score: Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia 3 - 1 Al-Khazem
Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia kept their campaign on track with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Al-Khazem at the Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium on Thursday evening. The hosts opened the scoring inside the opening two minutes through Ahmed Al-Nakhli, setting the tone for what would be a dominant performance from the home side. By then, the visitors seemed already to be on the back foot after such an early blow.
Francisco Trincão doubled Al-Ahli's advantage shortly before the interval, finishing a well-worked move to put the hosts 2-0 up. Ivan Toney then made it 3-0 from the penalty spot just after half-time, and although he later missed a second spot-kick at the 49-minute mark, the result was never in doubt. And here's the thing — we had tipped Al-Ahli to win, with 53 per cent confidence, and that prediction came good.
The goals came in quick succession: Al-Nakhli in the second minute, Trincão in the 21st, Toney's penalty in the 32nd, and his second goal on the stroke of half-time. Four substitutions were made during the match, with Abdullah Al Shanqiti and Ahmed Al-Shamrani both coming on for Al-Khazem in the 45th minute, while Saud Al-Rashid, Trincão, and Wenderson Galeno were among those brought off for the hosts. Sultan Tanker picked up a yellow card for the visitors at the 46-minute mark.
Al-Ahli dominated possession with 52 per cent of the ball and created nine big chances compared to just one for their opponents. They registered six shots on target from 18 attempts inside the penalty area, while Al-Khazem managed only three shots on target from 14 attempts. The hosts also completed 338 successful passes compared to 316 for the visitors, though both sides registered 20 aerial duels won.
The victory moved Al-Ahli to nine points from six games, maintaining their position in ninth place with three wins and three defeats. Al-Khazem remained in 10th spot with eight points from two victories, two draws, and two losses. To be fair, neither side has established any clear separation at this early stage of the season.
Al-Ahli's recent form had been mixed, with defeats to Al-Qadisiya and Al-Hilal breaking up a run that included a 5-0 thrashing of Al-Riyadh. Al-Khazem showed resilience in their previous encounters, drawing with Al-Faisaly and Ash-Shabab before their loss to Al-Ittihad. By then, it was clear that the hosts had found their rhythm at home.
The match statistics tell the story of a one-sided encounter, with Al-Ahli creating 5.03 expected goals to Al-Khazem's 1.25. The visitors managed 88 attacks against 87 for the hosts, but quality over quantity prevailed. The stadium fell silent at times when Al-Khazem looked to mount a comeback, but the home side's defence held firm throughout.
