Al-Hazem produced a remarkable comeback to beat Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia 3:1 in the Pro-League at Al-Khazem Club Stadium on Friday evening. The hosts, sitting third in the table with eight points from four games, overturned a deficit to take all three points against the visitors who had been in fine form before this match.
And here's the thing about this encounter — it looked like Al-Ahli were heading for victory when Ivan Toney had a penalty cancelled by VAR in the fourth minute. Kortajarena gave the hosts the lead just before half-time with a well-taken goal in the 32nd minute, and Al-Hazem held on despite Toney's yellow card in the 43rd minute.
Al-Ahli pulled one back through Toney himself in the 66th minute after a period of sustained pressure. The visitors dominated possession and created more chances, but Al-Hazem weathered the storm and began to look dangerous on the counter. By then, the match had turned into a tactical battle rather than a straightforward fixture.
Domingues restored Al-Hazem's advantage in the 85th minute, and Sawan sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th minute. The hosts made several changes in the final stages, bringing on Bondarenko and substituting Domingues for Hamidou and Al Aliwa in quick succession. It was a frantic finish that left the stadium buzzing.
The statistics tell an interesting story. Al-Ahli controlled 69 per cent of possession and registered 129 attacks compared to 53 for the hosts, yet Al-Hazem were more clinical. Both sides registered three shots on target, but Al-Hazem hit 75 per cent accuracy while Al-Ahli could only manage 19 per cent. The visitors also created more big chances — three to one — but failed to convert them.
This result moves Al-Hazem further clear in third place, while Al-Ahli drop to sixth after their first defeat of the campaign. The hosts had won three of their previous four matches and drew one, while Al-Ahli had won two and lost one before this evening. A win that will make life awkward for the visitors in the coming weeks.
