Ronaldo was finally back in action and it’s not a surprise that he quickly got on the scoresheet as Al Nassr keeps on building a winning streak. But this is just the headline, there was more to round 22 of the Roshn Saudi League – let’s recap it!
Al Najmah finally wins!
Honestly, we are very happy for Al Najmah to get their first win, fully deserved. The victim was Al Kholood, but the devoted followers of the Saudi Pro League know that the freshly promoted team has been quite unlucky to not bag their first win up until the latest round. They have lost several points in the stoppage time, and who wouldn’t remember their daring comeback against Al Ettifaq from a four goals’ deficit?
Mathematically, there’s still some hope for them, which is a good piece of news for the Unaizah-based team. The bad piece of news is that three out of their upcoming four matches will be against the top three teams, so maintenance of their top division status still seems to be an uphill battle. Nevertheless, we are used to miracles in the Roshn Saudi League. Furthermore, we are terrible at predictions, so we just move on to our next topic before we make another failed bet.
The title race is intense.
The capture of Benzema has been expected to turn the tides of battle for the championship, however, it wasn’t him who ensured a clean victory for Al Hilal. The Saudi international duo, Salem and Kanno stepped up, while Karim missed literally unmissable chances. The depth of Al Hilal is insane, as it was proven once again.
In the meantime, Al Ahli ran rampant against Al Shabab, securing a massive victory for themselves, and shattering any hopes of the White Tigers on an extended winning streak. The defeat was heavy, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Riyadhi giants, as Hamdallah finally returned to action as a half-time substitute, and Carrasco keeps on overperforming: he scored a brace this time.
As regards Al Nassr, we already mentioned that Ronaldo returned with a goal and – unsurprisingly – led his team to victory against Al Fateh. Let’s also praise Bento, who did extremely well to keep a clean sheet against a strong opponent.
Following the mid-table teams is worthwhile.
The limelight is often on the European stars and the top teams, however, it’s a kind reminder from us that the entirety of the league deserves attention. For example, while the contest between Al Riyadh and Al Khaleej might not be a mouthwatering one in advance, the eventful 1-1 draw turned out to be the most entertaining and exciting fixture of the gameweek.
Likewise, the six-pointers between Al Hazem and Al Okhdood or the already mentioned victory of Al Najmah over Al Kholood (for the purpose of completeness, both matches ended with a 2-1 victory for the hosts) were also great matches. Long story short: if you watch the Saudi Pro League extensively, you spend your time wisely!
