Anticipation filled Al-Fateh Stadium before kickoff, as the home side arrived on the back of five successive victories. That run had carried them away from danger and into ninth position, with hopes of breaking into the leading group still alive.
Anticipation filled Al-Fateh Stadium before kickoff, as the home side arrived on the back of five successive victories. That run had carried them away from danger and into ninth position, with hopes of breaking into the leading group still alive.
Facing opponents struggling for rhythm, the occasion appeared favourable for the hosts. Momentum, league position, and recent form all pointed in their direction before play began.
Those expectations were overturned almost immediately. Al-Kholood opened proceedings with surprising intensity, unsettling their opponents through direct movement and incisive passing.
Ramiro Enrique broke the deadlock in the 12th minute after latching onto a precise pass behind the defence and finishing beyond Fernando Pacheco. The visitors doubled the advantage seven minutes later when Muhammad Sawan converted from a narrow angle, again exploiting space through the middle.
Despite falling behind, Al-Fateh attempted to regain control, focusing much of their attacking intent on dead-ball situations. Mourad Batna came closest when his curling free kick forced Juan Cozzani into a sharp save.
With time running out in the opening half, Zaydou Youssouf surged forward from midfield and struck powerfully from range, reducing the deficit during stoppage time. The effort injected belief into the stands and onto the pitch.
Moments later, Youssouf nearly repeated the feat from a similar distance. On this occasion, Cozzani reacted quickly to prevent an equaliser and preserve the visitors’ lead heading into the break.
The interval arrived with renewed optimism for the home side, who sensed a shift in momentum after their late breakthrough.
Al-Fateh carried that energy into the restart, pressing higher and forcing Al-Kholood deeper. However, the visitors struck decisively once more in the 55th minute, when Hattan Bahebri reacted fastest to a rebound off the upright.
The setback did not immediately deflate the hosts. From a corner two minutes later, they found a way through, narrowing the gap once again and reigniting belief around the ground.
A major opportunity followed when Batna was fouled inside the area, but his spot-kick crashed against the post. The miss proved pivotal, halting Al-Fateh’s surge at a critical moment.
Al-Kholood capitalised ruthlessly. Substitute Abdulrahman Al-Dosari finished a flowing move in the 71st minute to restore a two-goal margin before Enrique sealed the contest with his second strike ten minutes from time.
The outcome moves Al-Kholood provisionally into 12th place, opening a six-point buffer above the drop zone. Al-Fateh stays ninth on 21 points, aware that NEOM remains close behind with a game still outstanding.
