English Premier League
Al Kholood end Al Ahli’s 11-game winning run against Qassim clubs
Al Kholood ended Al Ahli’s perfect record against clubs from Qassim in the Roshn Saudi League with a dramatic 3-1 victory on Saturday. The result, secured by two late goals, brought to an end a sequence of 11 consecutive wins for Al Ahli in this particular fixture category.
Al Ahli had arrived for the fourth-round match with a dominant record against teams from the Qassim region. They had won each of their previous 11 league meetings with those clubs, scoring 25 goals and conceding just four.
According to Opta, the run included a 3-0 victory over Al Kholood in May 2026. It was Al Ahli’s longest winning streak against Qassim-based opposition in the competition, but Al Kholood overturned that recent history in emphatic fashion.
The hosts took control of the match in the 32nd minute when Iker Kortajarena opened the scoring. The midfielder took advantage of a pass from Koba da Costa before cutting onto his left foot and finding the net.
That goal gave Al Kholood a 1-0 lead at half-time, leaving Al Ahli needing a response after failing to reproduce the form that had made them so effective against clubs from the region.
Al Ahli eventually drew level in the second half through Ivan Toney. The England striker scored in the 66th minute to restore parity and appeared to have shifted the momentum back in favour of the visitors.
However, the match produced a decisive late twist. Julian Dominguez put Al Kholood back in front in the 85th minute, before Mohammed Soaan completed the victory in the second minute of added time.
The final two goals secured a notable result for Al Kholood and ended Al Ahli’s long-standing advantage in meetings with Qassim clubs. The defeat was particularly costly for Al Ahli after they had managed to recover from going behind earlier in the game.
Al Kholood’s victory moved them up to third place in the Roshn Saudi League table, with eight points from their opening four matches. Al Ahli, meanwhile, dropped to sixth with six points.
The result also reversed the outcome of the clubs’ most recent league meeting, when Al Ahli defeated Al Kholood 3-0 in May 2026. Their latest encounter instead belonged to Al Kholood, who maintained their composure during a chaotic finish to claim all three points.
