Analysis: What the 0-0 Draw Between Al-Ahli Saudi and Al-Ettifaq Means for the Saudi Pro League Season
Al-Ahli and Al-Ettifaq locked horns at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in a crunch clash expected to have ramifications at the top of the table.
Apart from the destination of the points, fans were genuinely interested in the two giants fighting out in a tactical and aesthetic clash, pitting some of the best attacking players the Saudi Pro League has to offer. This match was supposed to be emblematic of the Saudi Project.
The resulting 0-0 draw did little to excite the fans in the stadium. The teams played too safe and pragmatic. Al-Ettifaq had most of the ball (52% possession) to Al-Ahli’s 48%. There were 15 shot attempts by Al-Ahli compared to Al-Ettifaq’s 4.
The goal-mouth saw five combined shots in 90 minutes, with Al-Ahli responsible for three shots on target to Al-Ettifaq’s 2.
With Firmino, Mahrez, and Sinti-maximin lining up for Al-Ahli and Moussa Dembele and Damarai Gray in Al-Ettifaq’s team, the match was too subdued, and the lack of goalmouth action and goals surprising.
This match was a reminder that football can always be pragmatic and that keeping clean sheets is as good an outcome as scoring a goal.
It might not grab the headlines, but the 0-0 draw between Al-Ahli and Al-Ettifaq shows that clean sheets will be as important as goals in deciding the title’s destiny.
