JEDDAH: Al-Ahli head coach Matthias Jaissle praised his players’ resilience after they overturned a three-goal deficit to secure a dramatic 3–3 draw against rivals Al-Hilal in the Saudi Professional League on Friday.
Speaking after the match, the German coach described the fightback as “a miracle” and said he always believed his team could respond despite trailing 3–0 by the 78th minute.
“We were more intense and aggressive in the second half, and we didn’t allow any turnovers,” he said. “We created several scoring opportunities and scored three goals. I feel proud to have done that against a big and strong team like Al-Hilal.”
He added: “I had the feeling (we could) come back after losing 3-0 in the first half, and continuing the high pressure was the only way for us to recover.”
Jaissle said the focus would now shift to next week’s FIFA Intercontinental Cup clash with Egypt’s Pyramids FC on Tuesday.
“Our goal is to win the title, and we are working towards that because we represent Saudi Arabia,” he told reporters.
