Al-Ahli halts Al-Nassr’s unbeaten run

Al-Ahli players rejoice after a goal.

RIYADH, Jan 3: Al-Ahli ended Al-Nassr’s unbeaten streak this season by defeating them 3-2 in the 13th round of the Saudi Roshn League.

Ivan Toney was the star for Al-Ahli, scoring twice and assisting Merih Demiral for the decisive third goal. Al-Nassr’s defender Abdulilah Al-Amri scored both goals for his team. The match was full of drama: Al-Ahli raced to a 2-0 lead, Al-Nassr fought back to equalize, but Demiral’s second-half strike sealed the win for the “Raqi” side.

The game ended with tension, as Al-Ahli captain Ali Majrashi and Al-Nassr’s Nawaf Boushal were both sent off in stoppage time. The victory lifted Al-Ahli to 25 points, moving them up to fourth place, while Al-Nassr remained at 31 points, temporarily staying at the top. Earlier, Al-Ettifaq defeated Al-Akhdood 2-0, and Al-Najma drew 2-2 with Al-Khaleej.

Today’s fixtures include Al-Hazm vs Neom, Al-Qadsiah vs Al-Riyadh, and Damac vs Al-Hilal.

Turkish defender Merih Demiral had some fun on social media following the match. He posted a graphic on his official X (formerly Twitter) account showing him reading a newspaper with a headline claiming Al-Nassr had not lost this season. The headline was then humorously crossed out and replaced with a note stating Al-Nassr had yet to face Al-Ahli — a cheeky nod to the fact that Al-Ahli ended its rival’s unbeaten run in their first meeting of the season.