Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Al Ahli 3rd with 81 points, Al Shabab 13th with 35, 46 apart. Per game in the league, Al Shabab were scoring 1.29 and conceding 1.68, Al Ahli 2.09 and 0.74, against a competition average of 1.5 goals per team per game.
Defeat had not touched Al Ahli in 11 games.
10 previous meetings sit in the GioScore records — Al Shabab 4, draws 2, Al Ahli 4, at 3.7 goals per meeting. Only 40% of these meetings ended in a home win. 80% of the meetings finished with three goals or more, and both sides scored in 80%. The recent editions have closed up — 2.8 goals per game over the last five against 3.7 all-time.
Al-Shabab Club Stadium (Riyadh), capacity 15,000, hosted the game. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Al Ahli led 4-2 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 2-5.
Goal scorers
Al Shabab: Yannick Carrasco (33'), Yannick Carrasco (44') · Al Ahli: Ivan Toney (83'), Rayan Hamed (6'), Franck Kessié (20'), Riyad Mahrez (25'), Enzo Millot (34')
Key stats
Possession: Al Shabab 58% · Al Ahli 42% · Total shots: 6-15 · On target: 2-8 · Corners: 4-5