Saudi Gazette report
JEDDAH — Al-Ahli managed to secure a hard-fought victory over Al-Taawoun, dealing them their first loss of the season in a dramatic encounter that ended 3-2 in favor of Al-Ahli.
This thrilling match marked the conclusion of the sixth round of the Saudi Professional League.
Al-Ahli regained their winning form after a challenging defeat to Al-Fateh in the previous round.
However, they will have to face an important upcoming match against Al-Nassr without Abdul Basit Hindi, who received a red card in the Al-Taawoun clash.
The game kept spectators on the edge of their seats, with two critical moments standing out.
First, in the first half, new Al-Ahli player Abdullah Al-Ammar sustained an injury and had to leave the field, causing concern among fans.
The second suspenseful moment occurred in the 90th minute when Al-Taawoun scored their third goal (equalizer).
However, the referee later canceled the goal after consulting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Al-Ahli heaved a sigh of relief and secured all three points, bringing their total to 15 points. They climbed to third place in the league standings, just one point behind the leaders, Al-Hilal.
In contrast, Al-Taawoun’s points total remained at 13, causing them to drop to fourth place.
Al-Ahli quickly gained the upper hand in the match when Abdul Basit Hindi scored the opening goal in the fourth minute.
The second goal for Al-Ahli was an own goal by Al-Taawoun’s defender Walid Al-Ahmad, who inadvertently directed the ball into his own net after a cross from Ivorian player Kessie.
New Brazilian addition to Al-Taawoun, Joao Pedro, narrowed the gap, making his mark on the game with a late first-half goal.
However, Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin unleashed a powerful rocket shot in the 68th minute, securing all three points for the Green Falcons.
Musa Barrow came close to putting a smile on Al-Taawoun fans’ faces when he scored what seemed like an equalizer in the 90th minute.
However, a wrongly taken throw-in prior to the attack led to the cancelation of the goal following VAR review.
This ultimately ended the match with Al-Ahli winning and Al-Taawoun suffering their first defeat.
The final minutes of the game witnessed a heated altercation between Abdul Basit Hindi and Spanish player Álvaro Medran, resulting in both of them receiving red cards.