RIYADH: The question on every Al-Qadsiah fan’s mind is simple: what happened? Since mounting a historic injury time comeback against Al-Ahli last month, Brendan Rodgers’ side have gone three games without a win.
That victory against Al-Ahli firmly announced Al-Qadsiah as title contenders, but their run of form since the international break has brought them back down to earth.
A derby defeat to Al-Ettifaq and a draw against relegation-battling Damac was followed this week by a 2-2 draw against Al-Shabab at home. Despite starting strongly with a relentless press from the front, Al-Qadsiah quickly fell back after their opening goal.
Christopher Bonsu Baah and Mateo Retegui combined in the left half-space to break down the Al-Shabab defense in the 16th minute. The Ghanaian wing-back fired a powerful finish past Marcelo Grohe to put the hosts ahead.
From that moment, the course of the match took a complete detour. Al-Shabab went from looking disjointed — unable to play out against Al-Qadsiah’s press — to a dangerous side when approaching the opposition half. This has been a testament to the psychological impact of recent head coach appointment Nourredine ben Zekri.
For instance, Yacine Adli has seen an improvement in form since the Algerian coach’s arrival. Previously operating deeper, he has been tasked with leading the midfield across various areas of the pitch — severely strengthening the connection between defense and attack.
One player in particular who has added significant impetus to the Al-Shabab offence is Ali Al-Azaizeh. The young Jordanian winger joined Al-Shabab on loan in the winter, and was finally able to make the impact he has been waiting for on his third start for the club.
In the 35th minute, Basil Al-Sayyali released Al-Azaizeh on the flank, with the Jordanian winger showing his flair by cutting past Musab Al-Juwayr before a firing a crisp finish into the roof of the net for the equalizer.
Al-Azaizeh popped up again in the second half, getting on the end of a powerful run by Abderrazzaq Hamedallah. The Moroccan beat his marker to reach the byline and lay off his teammate for the second in the 54th minute.
It was unlike Al-Qadsiah under Brendan Rodgers to be in this position, but changes in the starting lineup and the absence of Julian Weigl have evidently made them easier to break down.
What the Knights of Khobar have consistently shown across the season, however, is their fighting spirit. It is rare to see Al-Qadsiah go down without a fight, and after a series of missed chances, a scramble in the box saw them level the score.
A header by Al-Juwayr was saved by Grohe, but the Brazilian’s effort ultimately slipped back into the path of Al-Qadsiah’s forwards, as Retegui snuck the ball into the net.
Al-Qadsiah’s late revival pressured Al-Shabab, who saw Wesley Hoedt sent off moments later for a dangerous tackle on Baah, the last man as Al-Qadsiah broke forward on the counterattack.
Ultimately, both sides will feel they could have won the game.
In the 88th minute, Hamedallah made his way past Nacho to put himself clear on goal with Koen Casteels, only for his strike to drift inches wide of the post — an unusual miss for the second-highest scorer in Saudi Pro League history.
Later, in the final moments of stoppage time, Al-Qadsiah had a dangerous effort of their own in the goal area, but Grohe made his sixth and final save of the night to salvage a valuable point for Al-Shabab.
Saudi Pro League action resumes on Wednesday with Al-Nassr welcoming Al-Ettifaq at 9 p.m. at Al-Awwal Park. Al-Nassr are seeking victory against one of the few teams to have taken points off them this season.
