Al-Akhdoud Football Club’s first team achieved a valuable and well-deserved victory over their host, Al-Najma, with a score of 3-1, in the strong match that brought them together on Saturday evening at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah, as part of the competitions of the twenty-fourth round of the Saudi Professional League.

This victory is of paramount importance to Al-Akhdoud, as it marks their third win in the league this season, significantly boosting their hopes of escaping relegation and climbing out of the relegation zone amidst fierce competition. With this result, Al-Akhdoud raised their points tally to 13, placing them 17th in the standings. Meanwhile, Al-Najma's situation worsened, remaining stuck at the bottom of the table with only 8 points, raising serious questions about their future in the remaining rounds.

Match details and goal scenarios

The match began with a clear attacking intent, as Al-Akhdoud managed to impose their control early and take the lead in the 14th minute. Striker Saleh Al-Abbas received a perfectly weighted pass on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot that nestled into the right corner of Brazilian goalkeeper Victor Braga's net, opening the scoring. However, the home side did not give up. Al-Najma intensified their efforts to equalize, and five minutes before the end of the first half, specifically in the 39th minute, they did so through Brazilian Lazaro, who received a cross inside the penalty area and expertly converted it into the back of the net, ending the first half with a 1-1 draw.

In the second half, Al-Akhdoud came out with even greater determination to secure the three points. They regained the lead in the 64th minute after being awarded a penalty, which Cameroonian professional Christian Bassogog converted successfully, placing the ball powerfully to the right of goalkeeper Braga. As the match drew to a close, in stoppage time, Al-Akhdoud delivered the final blow with a third goal. Norwegian Tokmac Nguyen cleverly followed up a cross inside the box and slotted it into the net, ending the match with a clear 3-1 victory for Al-Akhdoud.

Competition context of the Roshan League

This match comes at a time when the Saudi Professional League is witnessing tremendous development and high technical levels, with the competition no longer limited to the top teams, but also raging fiercely in the relegation zone. The three points Al-Akhdoud earned represent a temporary lifeline that could prove crucial in the final standings of the season, especially since the point differences at the bottom of the table are often very small.

The performance of foreign professionals in the match, such as Cameroonian Bassogog and Norwegian Nguyen, reflects the added technical value brought by attracting stars to the Saudi League, which has raised the level of competition and made predicting match results difficult even among middle and bottom-ranked teams.

Al-Kholoud secured a crucial and exciting 2-1 victory over hosts Neom in their match on Saturday evening, as part of the 24th round of the Saudi Professional League. This win underscores Al-Kholoud's ambition to improve their position in the standings and distance themselves from the relegation zone.

The match began at a fast, attacking pace, with veteran star Hattan Bahebri putting Al-Kholoud ahead early by scoring the first goal just four minutes after kickoff. Although Neom quickly equalized through Ryan Messi in the 12th minute, the visitors' determination to secure the points was evident.

Hattan Bahebri returned to his brilliant form, scoring his second goal and his team's second in the 39th minute, giving Al-Kholoud a 2-0 lead at halftime, a lead they maintained until the final whistle. With this brace, Bahebri raised his goal tally to five in the current Roshan League season, placing him third in the local top scorers list, behind Khalid Al-Ghannam of Al-Ettifaq (8 goals) and Salem Al-Dawsari of Al-Hilal (7 goals). This highlights the significant contribution Bahebri has made to his team this season.

The final minutes of the match witnessed tension that led to the referee showing a red card to Neom player Khalifa Al-Dossari in the (89) minute, so the home team finished the last moments with a numerical disadvantage.

In the league standings, this valuable victory raised Al-Kholoud's points tally to 25, propelling them to 14th place, level on points with Al-Shabab in 13th but behind on goal difference. This win marks Al-Kholoud's second consecutive victory, following their thrilling 3-2 win against Al-Khaleej in the previous round, reflecting the team's resurgence and their determination to secure their place in the Pro League.

Meanwhile, Neom's situation worsened as their points tally remained frozen at 32, placing them eighth in the standings. Their recent run of poor results continued, having stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Al-Fayha in the previous round. These results highlight the fierce competition in the Roshan League this season, with mid-table teams striving to maintain their form and points positions amidst the closely matched levels of the clubs.

The race for the top spot in the current Saudi Professional League has intensified following the conclusion of the 24th round of matches, which was full of excitement and fierce competition. Al-Nassr maintained its dominance at the top of the standings, holding onto first place with 61 points, but the narrow margin separating them from their pursuers suggests a dramatic end to the season.

The battle for the top spot and the golden square

There is no room for error in the remaining rounds, as Al-Ahli trails the league leader by just two points (59 points), putting immense pressure on the top team in every upcoming match. Meanwhile, Al-Hilal lurches in third place with 58 points. Interestingly, Al-Hilal is the only team on the list yet to suffer a defeat (0 losses), but their high number of draws (7) has kept them in third place, only 3 points behind the leader.

In the struggle to catch up with the qualifying positions and to seek a place in the golden square, Al-Qadisiyah stumbled in its last step with a positive draw of one goal against its counterpart Al-Taawon, so its tally became 54 points in fourth place, while Al-Ittihad is fifth with 42 points, which is a relatively large difference from the leading clubs, which makes its task of competing for the title this season difficult.

The battle for survival and the evolution of the league

On the other side of the table, a fierce battle is raging to avoid relegation, with Al-Najma, Al-Akhdoud, and Damac languishing at the bottom. This makes their upcoming matches like cup finals as they fight to secure their place in the top flight. This intense competition reflects the significant development of the Saudi Professional League (the Roshan League), which has become a global attraction thanks to the influx of star players and the rising technical and tactical standards of all its clubs.

Here is the complete Roshan League standings table after the conclusion of round 24:

• 1) Al-Nasr: 61 points (Played 24 - Won 20 - Drew 1 - Lost 3)
• 2) Al Ahly: 59 points (Played 24 - Won 18 - Drew 5 - Lost 1)
• 3) Al-Hilal: 58 points (Played 24 - Won 17 - Drew 7 - Lost 0)
• 4) Al-Qadisiyah: 54 points (Played 24 - Won 16 - Drew 6 - Lost 2)
• 5) Al-Ittihad: 42 points (Played 24 - Won 12 - Drew 6 - Lost 6)
• 6) Cooperation: 41 points (Played 24 - Won 12 - Drew 4 - Lost 7)
• 7) Al-Ittifaq: 38 points (Played 24 - Won 11 - Drew 5 - Lost 8)
• 8) Neom: 32 points (Played 24 - Won 9 - Drew 5 - Lost 10)
• 9) Al-Fateh: 28 points (Played 24 - Won 7 - Drew 7 - Lost 10)
• 10) Al-Hazm: 28 points (Played 24 - Won 7 - Drew 7 - Lost 10)
• 11) Al-Khaleej: 27 points (Played 24 - Won 7 - Drew 6 - Lost 11)
• 12) Al-Fayha: 27 points (Played 24 - Won 7 - Drew 6 - Lost 11)
• 13) Al Shabab: 25 points (Played 24 - Won 6 - Drew 7 - Lost 11)
• 14) Immortality: 25 points (Played 24 - Won 8 - Drew 1 - Lost 15)
• 15) Riyadh: 16 points (Played 24 - Won 3 - Drew 7 - Lost 14)
• 16) Damac: 16 points (Played 24 - Won 2 - Drew 10 - Lost 12)
• 17) Al-Akhdoud: 13 points (Played 24 - Won 3 - Drew 4 - Lost 17)
• 18) Al-Najma: 8 points (Played 24 - Won 1 - Drew 5 - Lost 18)