Al Ittihad, the reigning champion of the Saudi Pro League, narrowly escaped elimination yesterday to advance to the round of 16 in the King’s Cup after defeating Al Kholood 7-6 in a penalty shootout, following a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time.
The match was a tight contest, with Roberto Dias of Al Kholood accidentally opening the scoring for Al Ittihad in the 18th minute. Al Kholood managed to equalise through Mariano Vazquez in the 40th minute.
With the original time ending in a draw, the game extended into extra time, providing Al Kholood with opportunities to secure an upset victory. However, the vigilance of goalkeeper Abdullah Al Mayouf prevented them from doing so.
Both teams then contested a penalty shootout, where Al Kholood missed three penalties, while Al Ittihad missed two.
Ultimately, Al Ittihad prevailed 7-6 in the shootout after Al Mayouf saved a penalty from Mohamed Al Shahrani, securing their spot in the round of 16.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli also advanced to the round of 16 after defeating host team Al Ain 3-2 in the round of 32 of the tournament.
Al Ahli found the back of Al Ain’s net in the first half, courtesy of Firas Al Brikan, who recently joined the ranks of Al Ahli.
Al Brikan successfully scored the opening goal in the 22nd minute, and he returned to add the second goal in the 28th minute. Sumayhan Al Nabit then extended the lead with the third goal in the 38th minute.
Al Ain reduced the deficit with Suarez scoring in the 81st minute, and in the final minutes, they managed to net another goal with an own goal scored against Al Ahli. The referee blew the final whistle, securing Al Ahli’s spot in the next round.
The goals scored by Al Ain in the late minutes did not pose a significant threat to Al Ahli, but conceding consecutive goals in Al Ahli’s recent matches appeared unsettling for the team under the guidance of the German coach Matthias Jaissle.
In the capital city, Riyadh, Al Fayha repeated their victory over the home team, Al Riyadh, just days after their triumph in the Saudi Professional League.
Al Fayha turned the tables on Al Riyadh, who had taken the lead with a goal from Didier Ndong in the 16th minute.
However, Al Fayha striker Malik Al Abdulmohsen managed to level the score in the 19th minute. Al Abdulmohsen then gave his team the lead and scored the second goal shortly before the end of the first half.
&uuid=(email))