Al-Ettifaq defeats Al-Taawoun with a goal from Wijnaldum in the Saudi Professional League
The first football team of Al-Ettifaq Club succeeded in achieving a valuable and well-deserved victory over its heavy guest, Al-Taawon team, with a score of (1-0), in the strong match that brought them together this evening (Tuesday) on the grounds of Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium (Ego) in the city of Dammam, as part of the competitions of the twentieth round of the Saudi Professional League.
Al-Nawakhda owes this victory to the veteran Dutch star Georginio Wijnaldum, who managed to unlock Al-Taawon’s defenses and score the only and decisive goal of the match in the (71) minute, giving his team three very important points in the league journey.
Match details and missed opportunities
The first half of the match was highly competitive, with the home side holding a slight advantage. French striker Moussa Dembélé nearly opened the scoring early, in the 10th minute, after receiving a perfectly weighted long ball that put him just outside the penalty area. However, Brazilian goalkeeper Maïlson was alert and made a brilliant save. Al-Taawoun, however, did not sit back, responding with dangerous attempts of their own. The most notable chance came in the 27th minute when Frenchman Angelo Fulgini's shot was expertly saved by Slovakian goalkeeper Marek Rodák.
The goalkeepers continued to shine, with Maëlsson delivering a remarkable performance by saving several clear chances, most notably a powerful shot from Wijnaldum from inside the penalty area, in addition to another shot from Khalid Al-Ghannam in stoppage time of the first half, ending the first half of the match in a goalless draw.
In the second half, the pace of the game increased, with both teams exchanging attacks in search of the opening goal. Mohammed Al-Qahtani missed a golden opportunity for Al-Taawoun, firing a shot over the bar in the 47th minute. Mukhtar Ali responded with a powerful shot that went just wide of the post in the 52nd minute. The score remained level until the 71st minute when Wijnaldum used his vast experience to control a ball inside the penalty area and expertly slotted it into the net.
The context of the competition and the importance of winning
This victory comes at a crucial time for Al-Ettifaq, as the team seeks to solidify its position in the mid-table and move closer to the top spots amidst the fierce competition in the Saudi Professional League this season. This win reflects the team's excellent tactical work and its desire to return to winning ways, especially given the addition of world-class players like Wijnaldum and Dembélé, whose impact is beginning to bear fruit in securing victories in tight matches.
On the other hand, this loss represents a setback for the ambitions of Al-Taawon “Al-Sukari Al-Qassim”, which is having an exceptional season and is strongly competing for the qualifying spots for continental participations, as it was hoping to come out with a positive result that would enhance its presence in the golden square or keep it close to it.
The two teams' positions in the standings
Al-Ettifaq maintained their lead thanks to a solid defense and a stellar performance from goalkeeper Rodak until the final whistle. With this result, Al-Ettifaq raised their points tally to 32, climbing to seventh place in the standings and providing a significant morale boost for the upcoming rounds. Meanwhile, Al-Taawoun's points remained at 38, keeping them in fifth place, but they missed an opportunity to close the gap on the top four teams.
