Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Al Ahli 1st with 72 points, Al Jabalain 10th with 41, 31 apart. Al Jabalain ranked just 15th in the league on five-round form despite their 10th table position. Scoring rates set the scale: Al Jabalain 1.24 scored and 1.26 conceded per game, Al Ahli 1.41 and 0.71, with the league averaging 1.16.
Al Jabalain had drawn their last three. Al Ahli had won six straight, having scored in 12 consecutive games. The five-game form split read 6/15 points for Al Jabalain against 15/15 for Al Ahli.
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium in Hail, capacity 12,250, hosted the game. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Al Ahli led 1-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 1-2.