FOOTBALL – RIFFA powered to a big 4-2 victory over A’ali last night in their round of 16 match in the 2024-25 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League.
Four different players scored for the victors, with three of their goals coming in the second half.
In other fixtures yesterday, Bahrain Club scored a late equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw against Malkiya, while Al Shabab and Al Najma played to a goalless stalemate.
In Riffa’s triumph at the National Stadium in Riffa, they took the lead in the 28th minute after Brazilian Vinicius Vargas Dos Santos scored from an acute angle in the box with a turning shot after beating the A’ali defence. That was enough to put his team in front at the interval.
Following the re-start, Bahraini international Jassim Al Shaikh doubled their advantage with a goal in the 57th minute. He drove the ball in from just outside the area with a low effort off a short assist from Brazilian teammate Wellington Machado Moreira.
Ali Hasan Saeed then made it 3-0 with a cool 73rd-minute volley from close range following a pass from Fahad Jasim Busharar. But A’ali replied just three minutes later with their first goal of the night. Hassan Oumar Abdelaziz headed in a cross from the right wing supplied by Brazilian Fabricio Ribeiro Correia.
Riffa then restored their three-goal advantage when Moreira struck from a few yards outside the box in 80th minute. A’ali then had their second consolation with a Robson Da Silva penalty in the ninth minute of second-half injury time after Adnan Tareq Alamoodi was taken down by Venezuelan Jean Fuentes in the box.
With the result, Riffa claimed their eighth win in 16 tries and improved to 28 points to momentarily take back third place on the league table from Sitra, who are in action tonight. A’ali suffered their ninth loss and stayed on 13 points in the standings.
In yesterday’s game between Bahrain Club and Malkiya at Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad, Bahrain Club were first to strike after getting an early penalty.
Brazilian Gabriel Monteiro Vasconcelos was brought down in the box, and he later stepped forward to take the spot kick, which he sent to the bottom-right corner of goal in the eighth minute.
Malkiya drew level just two minutes later with Isa Abdulwahab Albari, who scored from the face of goal after a cross from the right was not dealt with by their opponents. Malkiya then took the lead in the 44th minute when Nigerian Onoriode Marshal Odah tapped the ball in from inside the six-yard box.
But Bahrain Club were able to steal a share of the points deep into injury time when Brazilian Joel Vinicius Silva Dos Anjos scored with a volley after a weak clearance by Malkiya went straight to his path.
Bahrain Club improved to 19 points while Malkiya went to 21 in mid-table.
In last night’s third fixture at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town, Shabab and Najma could not find the net. Shabab rose to 20 points while Najma stayed right on their heels with 19.
League action continues tonight with round 16’s titanic clash between leaders Muharraq and two-time defending champions Al Khaldiya. They will be squaring off at Khalifa Sports City Stadium.
In other games, East Riffa will be looking for back-to-back victories for the first time all season when they face Sitra at Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad, while Al Ahli will face bottom club Manama at the National Stadium in Riffa. All three fixtures are also scheduled to begin at 7.20pm.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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