Al-Qadisiyah crushes Al-Ettifaq with four goals in the Eastern Province derby in the Roshan League
Al-Qadisiyah achieved a resounding and well-deserved victory over their traditional rival Al-Ettifaq by four goals to nil, in the exciting “Eastern Derby” match held at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, as part of the 23rd round of the Saudi Professional League, which was named the “Foundation Round” in celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the Saudi state.
A fiery start and field dominance for Al-Qadisiyah
Al-Qadisiyah gave their guests no time to settle into the match, with professional player Nandez surprising Al-Ettifaq's defense with a very early goal in the third minute. He capitalized on a perfectly executed long ball, controlling it with great skill before confidently placing it into the net. Barely four minutes later, Nandez was back in the role of playmaker, delivering a precise cross to his teammate Bonsu Bah, who converted it into a second goal in the seventh minute. This put Al-Ettifaq under immense psychological and technical pressure from the very beginning.
Agreement deficit and tactical superiority for the home team
The first half saw Al-Qadisiyah completely dominate, controlling the midfield and imposing a fast-paced style of play that Al-Ettifaq players were unable to match. Despite the presence of big names in the Al-Ettifaq squad, such as their Dutch captain Georginio Wijnaldum, the team appeared disjointed and posed little threat, save for a single attempt by the Dutchman before the end of the first half, which was insufficient to seriously threaten Al-Qadisiyah's goal.
The turning point and the collapse of the agreement's defenses
At the start of the second half, Al-Ettifaq tried to get back into the game and improved their possession somewhat, but their attacking effectiveness remained lacking. The 80th minute marked the end of Al-Ettifaq's hopes of a comeback when the referee showed a red card to defender Abdullah Al-Khatib, forcing the team to finish the match with ten men. Al-Qadisiyah cleverly exploited this advantage to extend their lead.
The end of the match and confirmation of merit
In stoppage time, as the match drew to a close, Al-Ettifaq's defense completely crumbled under Al-Qadsia's relentless attack. Kenonese scored the third goal, before Weigl capped off the goal fest with a rocket shot from outside the penalty area, sealing a resounding fourth goal and a comfortable victory for Al-Qadsia.
Impact of the result on the rankings
With this resounding victory, Al-Qadisiyah raised their points tally to 53, solidifying their fourth-place position and tightening the pressure on the leading teams in the race for Asian Champions League spots, confirming their strong return to contention. Meanwhile, Al-Ettifaq's points remained at 38, leaving them in seventh place, raising questions about the team's stability and their ability to improve their position in the remaining league matches.
