Football fans around the world will be glued to their television screens this Saturday, February 28, 2026, for a packed schedule of exciting and competitive matches across various international and local stadiums. This detailed report from Al-Midan Al-Riyadi (The Sports Arena) outlines today's fixtures, highlighting the intense battles in the final stretch of the football season as teams vie for titles and qualification spots for continental championships.

The Saudi Roshan League: A Clash of Stars

In Saudi Arabia, the Roshan Professional League continues to attract attention thanks to its tremendous development in recent years and its ability to draw in some of the brightest stars in football. Today's round features several exciting matches, most notably Al-Nassr's away game against Al-Fayha, where the "Global" team will be looking to secure three points to maintain their lead in the title race. The match between Al-Qadisiyah and Al-Taawoun also stands out as one of the strongest fixtures of the round, given the closely matched skill levels of both teams.

What is remarkable about today’s match schedule is the appearance of clubs like “Neom” and “Al-Najma”, which reflects the great sporting movement and the expansion of the scope of competition to include new regions and ambitious clubs seeking to prove their presence among the big clubs, as Neom faces its counterpart Al-Kholoud, while Al-Najma meets Al-Akhdoud.

The German Clasico: The Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich showdown

On the European stage, the German Bundesliga steals the spotlight with the "Der Klassiker," the clash between arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Historically, this match is considered the most important in German football, often determining the league title race. Fans are in for a high-caliber football spectacle at 8:30 PM, promising speed, physicality, and tactical brilliance.

The excitement of the Premier League and La Liga

In the English Premier League, considered the strongest league in the world, Manchester City faces a tough test against Leeds United, while Liverpool hosts West Ham at Anfield in a highly anticipated match. In Spain, Barcelona aims to continue its strong performances when it takes on Villarreal, nicknamed the "Yellow Submarine," while Atlético Madrid travels to face Real Oviedo.

The following is the complete list of matches for Saturday, February 28, 2026:

Saudi Roshan League

• Al-Fayha vs. Al-Nasr: 10:00 PM
• Al-Qadisiyah vs. Al-Taawon: 10:00 PM
• Star x Groove: 10:00 PM
• Neom vs. Eternity: 10:00 PM

English Premier League

• Leeds United vs Manchester City: 8:30 PM
• Liverpool vs West Ham United: 6:00 PM
• Newcastle United vs Everton: 6:00 PM

Spanish League (La Liga)

• Real Oviedo vs Atletico Madrid: 11:00 PM
• Barcelona vs Villarreal: 6:15 PM

Italian League (Calcio)

• Inter Milan vs. Genoa: 10:45 PM
• Hellas Verona vs. Napoli: 8:00 PM

French League

• Le Havre vs. Paris Saint-Germain: 11:05 PM
• Monaco vs. Angers: 9:00 PM

German League

• Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich: 8:30 PM

Jordanian refereeing expert Ahmed Abu Khadija sparked widespread controversy in Saudi sports circles after commenting on the refereeing decisions in the match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Khaleej, which took place in the Roshan Professional League at Al-Inma Stadium. Abu Khadija asserted that there were significant refereeing errors that may have altered the course of the match.

Details of the controversial case and the expert's opinion

In an exclusive statement to Al-Midan Al-Riyadi, Abu Khadija revealed his firm belief that Al-Khaleej deserved a clear penalty kick that was not awarded during the match. The refereeing expert explained that the foul committed against the Al-Khaleej player warranted a whistle from the referee and a decisive call for a free kick inside the penalty area.

In a related context, Abu Khadija addressed the situation in which star player Abderrazak Hamdallah demanded a penalty kick, settling the controversy by saying: "Abderrazak Hamdallah does not deserve a penalty kick. The contact was natural within the framework of legitimate competition for the ball, and the referee's decision to continue play was correct in this particular instance.".

Donis' anger and details of the match

The technical area witnessed palpable tension, with Al-Khaleej's Greek coach, Giorgos Donis, visibly agitated and protesting the referee's decisions. He demanded the referee consult the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system to review a play he believed could have given his team a chance to equalize or even take the lead, reflecting the immense psychological pressure and intense competition of the match.

The match ended with a valuable victory for Al-Ittihad Club with a score of one goal, which came through player Danilo Pereira, who took advantage of a perfect cross to put it skillfully into the net of goalkeeper Masouras, the protector of the "Dana" goal, giving his team three valuable points in the league journey.

The importance of refereeing in the Roshan League and its impact on the standings

These statements take on particular significance given the tremendous development of the Saudi Professional League, which has become a global focus of attention. With the increasing intensity of competition between established clubs like Al-Ittihad and ambitious clubs like Al-Khaleej, every point is crucial in the battle for the title or the fight to avoid relegation.

These cases highlight the immense pressure faced by referees in the Saudi League and the ongoing need for precision in the use of VAR to ensure fairness for all teams. Decisions such as awarding penalties often determine victory or defeat and directly impact the league standings, making expert analysis like that of Ahmed Abu Khadija an integral part of the sports media landscape surrounding the matches.

Al-Ittihad’s victory in this match is considered an important step to strengthen its position in the standings, while Al-Khaleej leaves with a feeling of bitterness due to the strong performance it presented and the refereeing demands that it believes were legitimate, which promises more exciting and competitive matches in the upcoming rounds of the competition.

In a night of thrilling goals, Al-Hilal's first football team regained their lost balance, delivering a resounding victory in the mini-Riyadh derby, defeating their neighbor and host, Al-Shabab, by a score of 5-3. The match took place on Friday evening at the SHG Arena in Riyadh, as part of the 24th round of the Saudi Professional League.

A fiery first half with fluctuating scores

The match began at a fast, attacking pace, reflecting both teams' desire to secure the three points. Al-Hilal launched an early offensive, with Brazilian Marcos Leonardo nearly opening the scoring in the eighth minute, but Al-Shabab defender Ali Al-Bulaihi made a crucial intervention, clearing the ball for a corner. Contrary to the initial flow of the game, Al-Shabab surprised their visitors by scoring the first goal in the 13th minute through Englishman Josh Brownhill. He received a perfectly weighted cross, controlled it, and then unleashed a powerful shot past Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Al-Hilal's response was swift, with Mohamed Kanno equalizing in the 19th minute with a powerful shot that nestled into the left corner of Brazilian goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe's net. Al-Hilal continued to press, and their pressure paid off in the 31st minute when they took the lead through an own goal. The ball deflected off defender Ali Al-Bulaihi and into his own net. Just before halftime, the match reignited when Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah leveled the score for Al-Shabab with a skillful individual effort in the 44th minute. However, Senegalese striker Kalidou Koulibaly ensured Al-Hilal's victory in stoppage time (45+3) after a well-placed follow-up to a shot that rebounded off the post.

Al-Hilal's victory is decisive, while Al-Shabab attempts a comeback

Al-Hilal entered the second half with renewed determination to seal the victory, and they quickly achieved this. In the 48th minute, Sultan Mandash extended his team's lead with a spectacular volley, before Brazilian Marcos Leonardo added a fifth goal in the 52nd minute, making the task even more difficult for the home side. Despite the significant deficit, Al-Shabab attempted to reduce the deficit, and Frenchman Yacine Adli managed to score their third goal with a long-range shot that deceived Bono in the 75th minute.

The final minutes witnessed desperate attempts by Al-Shabab to come back, and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou shone in defending his goal, saving dangerous balls from Belgian Carrasco and Hammam Al-Hamami, so that the match ended with a well-deserved victory for Al-Hilal.

The two teams' positions in the standings

With this valuable victory, Al-Hilal raised their points tally to 58, strengthening their hold on third place and continuing their pursuit of the top spot in the heated league race. Meanwhile, Al-Shabab's situation worsened as their points total remained at 22, leaving them stuck in thirteenth place and under immense pressure in the upcoming rounds to escape the relegation zone.