Al-Holoud beat Ash-Shabab 2:1 in the Saudi Pro League at Al-Khazem Club Stadium on Tuesday evening. The hosts moved into eighth place on nine points, while the visitors dropped to fifteenth with just three from five games.
Roger Martínez opened the scoring early on, finding the net in the sixth minute. Ash-Shabab responded well and Iker Kortajarena Canellada levelled before half-time, his effort coming in the thirtieth minute. The game looked set for a draw until Abdulrahman Al-Dosari struck for the hosts in the eighty-seventh minute.
There were plenty of cards in this one. Daniel Podence and Mansour Camara both went into the book in the twenty-second minute, and by then the intensity was already showing. Dhari Sayyar Al Anazi, Seydouba Cisse and Iker Kortajarena Canellada all received yellow cards, with Mohammed Al Rashidi and Tin Jedvaj closing out the disciplinary tally late on.
The statistics tell a story of dominance without control. Al-Holoud had fifty per cent possession and created four big chances against one, but their expected goals figure of 1.97 only translated into two victories. Ash-Shabab managed just 0.5 in that metric and took three shots on target, yet they still held out for over an hour.
And here's the thing — Al-Holoud now extend their unbeaten run, having drawn twice and won once in their last five. Ash-Shabab's struggles continue, with only three points from their opening campaign and two defeats already on the board.
