August 29, (THEWILL) – Al-Ahli continued their perfect start to the new Saudi Pro League season with a 2-0 home win over Al-Ta’ee on Tuesday night.
The visitors were reduced to ten men early on when former Nottingham Forest loanee, Alfa Semedo, was sent off in the 35th minute. Allan Saint-Maximin was a constant threat down the left for Al-Ahli in the first half. The £30 million summer signing combined well with fellow new arrival Riyad Mahrez to set up the opening goal just before half-time. Mahrez finished off Saint-Maximin’s low cross at the back post to notch his second goal for the club since arriving from Manchester City.
Al-Ahli pressed for a second after the break and it arrived just before the hour mark through Franck Kessie. The Ivorian found space on the edge of the box and placed his shot into the bottom corner. It was his second goal in two games since joining from Barcelona over the summer.
Manager Matthias Jaissle was delighted with his side’s performance against stubborn opponents. The win makes it three out of three for Al-Ahli as they go joint-top with Al Ittihad in the early Saudi Pro League table. They will look to continue their perfect start when they face Al-Fateh on Saturday.
It was a comfortable evening for Al-Ahli in the end, with the hosts dominating from start to finish. The win never looked in doubt after Mahrez’s opener, and Kessie’s second sealed an ultimately routine three points. Al-Ta’ee will seek to recover when they welcome Abha to the Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa’ed Stadium on Friday evening.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
