Al-Ahli trounces Al-Ettifaq, pushes Al-Nassr to 3rd position in SPL Table
Al-Ahli Saudi Wednesday January 28, 2025 defeated Al-Ettifaq 4-0 and advanced to the second position, replacing Cristiano Ronaldo led Al-Nassr, in the Saudi Pro League 2025-26 (SPL 25/26) Table
Jeddah: Al-Ahli Saudi Wednesday January 28, 2025 defeated Al-Ettifaq 4-0 and advanced to the second position, replacing Cristiano Ronaldo led Al-Nassr, in the Saudi Pro League 2025-26 (SPL 25/26) Table.
When Al Ahli Saudi players hit the lavish King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, it was tied up with Al Nassr in the SPL Table in terms of points. Both the teams had 40 points but Al Nassr was placed on the 2nd position and Al Ahli on the 3rd spot.
The Al Ahli vs Al Ettifaq Wednesday however revised the SPL chart with Al Ahli advancing to the 2nd position thanks to the 3 crucial points it won due to the victory.
Al Ahli’s victory over Al Ettifaq Wednesday also put pressure on Al Hilal which is firmly on the first position with 45 points.
The Saudi Pro League 2025-26 is now in its second round, with all the 18 teams now playing for second time with each team. And, Al Ahli’s second encounter with Al Hilal Monday February 02, 2026 will be crucial for both the teams.
Al Ahli Vs Al Ettifaq Highlights
On Wednesday, Matthias Jaissle’s side produced an excellent display in front of the home crowd, opening matchday 19 with a commanding 4-0 win.
Initially, it appeared Al-Ahli may already have had one eye on the looming clash with Al-Hilal. Al-Ettifaq began with determination, winning second balls effectively and dictating the tempo. However, Al-Ahli’s unique 3-4-2-1 set-up for this encounter proved fruitful.
The hosts lined up with Franck Kessié partnering Roger Ibanez and Rayan Hamed across the back, while Wenderson Galeno and Mohammed Abdulrahman operated as wide midfielders. Enzo Millot and Riyad Mahrez occupied the spaces behind Ivan Toney, pulling defenders out of Al-Ettifaq’s defence to create space in behind.
That approach underpinned both first-half goals. In the 17th minute, a long ball launched by Édouard Mendy released Mahrez into the channel, as the Algerian squared for Toney to slot home the opener.
Ten minutes later, Millot dragged Abdullah Al-Khateeb out of defence to play Galeno in behind, who was ultimately brought down by Al-Khateeb, prompting the referee to award a penalty.
Toney finished confidently from the spot to move temporarily clear at the top of the charts, netting his 17th goal of the season — one more than Cristiano Ronaldo and Julián Quiñones.
Al-Ahli pushed on after the break, eager to put the game beyond doubt and manage minutes ahead of Monday.
Valentin Atangana missed a golden opportunity in the 56th minute when a cutback slipped away from him in front of an open goal, but he made amends eight mintes leater. A super diagonal pass from Mahrez found Toney on the edge of the box, who played it into the Frenchman for the third.
Moments later, Toney passed up the chance to complete his hat-trick when Marek Rodák denied him at close range in the 66th minute.
The Englishman would not be denied for long, as in the 84th minute, the referee pointed to the spot once more after Abdulrahman was fouled by Francisco Calvo. Toney converted his second penalty of the night and his 18th goal of the campaign.
Al-Ahli head into Monday’s showdown against Al-Hilal in high spirits, having won their last eight games. Should Al-Hilal defeat Al-Qadsiah on Thursday, the gap will revert to four points. Any slip-up, however, would leave Al-Ahli within touching distance of top spot.
In other Saudi Pro League matches of the season, Al-Najma and Al-Riyadh played out a 1-1 draw in Qassim as the hosts’ winless run continued. Meanwhile, Al-Fayha defeated Al-Khaleej 3-1 to move eight points clear of the relegation zone, with Fashion Sakala and Chris Smalling getting on the scoresheet.
[With inputs from Arab News.]
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