Al-Qadsia swept aside Al-Tai 5-0 in the King's Cup Round of 32 on Sunday evening. The visitors made light work of their opposition at the home ground, running out comfortable winners before a patchy crowd. And here's the thing — this wasn't the sort of match where Al-Tai could cling to hope.
M. Retegui opened the scoring in the eighteenth minute, a sharp finish that caught the hosts off-guard. C. Bonsu Baah doubled the advantage just before the break, cutting in from the right to fire home. Retegui added his second in stoppage time, and by then Al-Tai had simply run out of legs.
The second half brought two more goals without drama. A fourth strike came in the forty-sixth minute, and the fifth arrived in the ninety-fourth. Al-Qadsia closed the game out with ease, while Al-Tai were reduced to watching from a losing position.
The statistics tell a blunt story. Both sides registered fifty percent possession, but Al-Qadsia generated ninety-three attacks compared to forty-three. There were no shots registered on target by either team — a curious anomaly in a five-goal match — though corners and throw-ins suggested Al-Qadsia dominated territory.
Al-Tai's recent form offered little comfort. They had lost 1-2 to Jeddah and 1-4 to Al-Batin in May, only scraping victories against lesser opposition. Al-Qadsia, meanwhile, were riding a wave — a 5-1 thrashing of Al-Ittihad and a 3-1 win over Al-Shabab at home.
The result means Al-Qadsia advance to the next round with confidence. Al-Tai's campaign ends here, and the gap between the two sides was wider than the scoreline suggested.