Al Riyadh Escape Relegation by a Whisker With 2-1 Win Away to Al Khaleej

After Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr denied them three points with a late equalizer on matchday 33, Al Riyadh headed into the season’s final day needing a win to ensure their survival. In a tight affair, the Saudi Pro League side delivered a 2-1 away win against Al Khaleej.

The hosts dominated the match in every measurable metric except the one that mattered: goals scored. Al Riyadh had to make do with the little of the ball (37% ball possession) but carried the day due to their clinical ability on goal (50% shot accuracy to Al Khaleej’s 31%).

The first half hour of the match was marked by a tense standoff, with both teams adopting a cautious approach. They were content to sit back and wait for the other to make a mistake they could capitalize on. In the 34th minute, Andre Gray put Al Riyadh ahead, but the goal was overturned upon VAR review.

With the teams ending in a stalemate in the first half, they came into the second half hoping to turn things around. It was not until the 65th minute that VAR showed its head again, this time in favor of Al Riyadh, awarding a penalty after Naif Masoud committed a foul in the penalty box. Birama Touré took up the responsibility and made no mistakes, making it 1-0 in favor of Al Riyadh.

Andre Gray finally got a goal to his name with a 74th-minute shot to the bottom of the right corner after a Mohammed Al Aqel through ball. Abdurahman Al Shammari conceded a penalty in the 83rd minute to ensure a nervy end to the match. Abdullah Al Salem scored the penalty to make it 2-1, but Al Khaleej could not get back in the match.

With their recent string of draws (four in a row), Al Riyadh put their survival in jeopardy, but when it mattered, they managed to secure a win and finish with 35 points in 14th place.