As the Saudi Professional League season reached the one-third mark, for most teams at least, there were plenty of talking points. Below are five things we learned from the latest round of action.
1. Al-Dawsari is Salahesque at the moment
Al-Hilal drew 1-1 at Al-Ahli on Friday, and while the defending champions will see it as two points dropped, it was far from a bad result given the absences and a little fatigue.
There has been plenty of talk this season about how Mohamed Salah is currently the best player in the world. It is hard to disagree with such a statement but in Asia, there can’t be many better players than Salem Al-Dawsari right now. The winger has been in great form for some time now and in the big game on Friday night scored a goal that fans of the Liverpool star would recognize and one that the Egyptian king would himself be proud of.
Picking up the ball inside a crowded area, there was some impressive close control and footwork to go past two Al-Ahli defenders and then fire home. It was the kind of goal that a player at the peak of his power scores. With Al-Dawsari in this kind of form, Al-Hilal fans may not even notice the players absent through injury.
2. Al-Shabab are well and truly back
The 3-0 win over the struggling Al-Tai on Thursday may have been expected, but it was the kind of victory that potential champions produce. The scoreline was convincing even if the performance was not equally commanding. Al-Tai gave as good as they got but couldn’t match the ruthlessness and the quality of Al-Shabab’s attackers.
These were three excellent goals scored by Carlos, the league’s top scorer Odion Ighalo and then Hussain Al-Monassar. It is the mark of champions that a team does not have to play well but can still collect the win.
The goals gave the Riyadh club, runners-up last season, a fourth successive win and the struggles of the start of the season are now a distant memory. Fans are starting to believe that the team is ready to challenge because the players are now full of confidence and are ready to play anyone. If there is another victory against Al-Nassr next week, then anything could happen.
3. Al-Ittihad needed the win
After just one win in the last four games, there were some rumblings of discontent coming out of Jeddah. Had the Tigers lost to Al-Hazem or even drawn, there is no knowing what may have happened. The narrow 1-0 win was not the finest or most fluid performance of the season, but it was necessary.
The goal was a thing of beauty. It will go down as a strike from Abdulaziz Al-Bishi, but the hard work was done by Igor Coronado. The Brazilian picked up the ball by the corner, skipped past two defenders and somehow, in the most crowded of areas, slipped the ball through to Al-Bishi. It was a moment of incredible vision as well as skill and it was worthy of winning any game. Al-Ittihad are not yet completely convincing but if they can keep Coronado fit, as well as defender Ahmed Hegazi, then they will always have a chance.
4. Al-Ahli are looking up, not down
The crisis has surely passed for Al-Ahli, and a 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal is a fine result. What is even more encouraging is that they could have won and were a little disappointed not to do so. Had the VAR not ruled out a penalty on the hour, when Omar Al-Somah looked to have been pulled back by Mohammed Al-Burayk, then the result could have been much better for the Jeddah side.
There are increasing signs that the players are buying into Besnik Hasi’s philosophy. Al-Ahli are working hard and playing for each other. The next two games are huge because they are not huge. They are against Al-Batin and Abha, two teams that are languishing near the bottom of the table. Win those and the season is starting to look pretty good, but mistakes will test the patience of fans and the board once more.
5. Damac may win the title but should not be underestimated
After a 1-0 win at Ettifaq on Saturday, Damac are back on top of the table with 21 points from 10 games. Neutrals should be delighted about the fact that such an unfancied team is on top of the standing at this stage of the season.
When they lost 4-1 to Al-Nassr on the opening day, it was assumed by many — including this writer — that the focus would once again be on avoiding relegation. How wrong we all were. There have been no defeats since, and 13 points from the last 15 available mean that this is a serious team.
Another 1-0 win came against Ettifaq. It was a hard-won three points, but this is the story of Damac so far this season. Nobody knows where it will end, but at the moment, the journey is exciting.
