1. No shocks but drama coming soon
It was a fairly predictable start to the new season. The teams that you would expect to win did just that and there was little to raise eyebrows, apart from the fact that there were no draws in the eight games. Indeed, the top six from last season all won and did so by conceding a combined total of one goal.
That is not necessarily a bad thing as controversy and drama are never that far away from football in the top tier in Saudi Arabia. There will be excitement, talking points and arguments to follow in the coming days, weeks and months — and that does not need to be the case from the opening round.
There were some fine goals, encouraging debuts and signs that the smaller teams are not going to give too much respect to the top sides. OK, it lacked a thriller or a clash that will be talked about up and down the country, but don’t be too surprised if the second round really gets temperatures and blood pressure rising.
2. Al-Ittihad looking ruthless and solid
Champions Al-Hilal collected a 2-0 win at Al-Khaleej on Thursday to throw down the gauntlet to the runners-up, and it was well and truly picked up by Al-Ittihad on Friday. The runners-up also traveled to the home of a newly promoted team, this time Al-Aladah, and ended up going one better than their rivals with a 3-0 victory.
New coach Nuno Espirito Santo watched with satisfaction from the sidelines. Ahmed Sharahili took advantage of a lapse in concentration to give the visitors the lead from close range after 15 minutes. That settled Al-Ittihad down, they stayed defensively solid and were able to draw the hosts forward and then get behind them. There were plenty of chances to add to the scoreline and it happened in the closing moments with a fine solo goal from Haroune Camara. There was still time for Hamdan Al-Shamrani to add a third.
There were few chances given to Al-Adalah who will have easier games to come. All in all, it was a thoroughly professional, disciplined and encouraging performance from the Jeddah giants.
3. Al-Nassr with work still to do going forward
A 1-0 home win over newly promoted Al-Wehda was expected and in the opening game, getting points on the board is what it is all about. Al-Nassr started well and got the early goal thanks to Vincent Aboubakar who reacted quickly to head home after just three minutes. Still, the new look Riyadh giants under coach Rudi Garcia struggled to get out of second gear in attack. They had plenty of possession but failed to create enough clear chances against a committed and well-organized visitor. With the likes of Talisca and Pity Martinez absent this time, that is surely going to change as there is too much offensive talent not to.
The French boss will also know that there could be improvements at the back. Al-Wehda had opportunities and could have earned a point. Goalkeeper David Ospina added a commanding presence and one who was ready to come out of his area quickly. As Garcia acknowledged, there is work to do on the training pitch but this was the first game, three points and a clean sheet and something to build on.
4. Al-Shabab thrill fans with spectacular goals
If Al-Ittihad’s three goals came from local players, Al-Shabab’s strikes in their 3-0 win at home to Al-Batin were all down to foreign stars and all three were memorable. If this is the kind of football that new Spanish coach Vincente Moreno is going to provide on a regular basis then fans of the team who finished fourth last season are in for a treat.
First there was a fine volley from Gabon’s Aaron Boupendza midway through the first half. His debut strike showed excellent technique and opportunism. At the start of the second period, there was a half-volley but perhaps one that was even easier on the eye. The way Carlos struck the ball from the edge of the area was almost reminiscent of Benjamin Pavard’s famous goal for France against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup. The third wasn’t bad either as the scorer turned provider with a perfect cross from the right that was headed home emphatically by Santi Mina, another debutant, not long after coming off the bench. It was the perfect start.
5. Promoted teams given a tough taste of the top
It was almost cruel to put the three teams who came up from the first division against the teams that finished first, second and third last time around. It was no surprise then that they struggled. All three lost without scoring a goal but there are reasons to be at least a little optimistic.
The trio held their own, to an extent, but conceding early goals, in the case of Al-Khaleej against Al-Hilal and Al-Adalah and Al-Ittihad and Al-Wehda against Al-Nassr, really made a tough night almost impossible. If they didn’t know before, they now know that defensive mistakes are punished quickly and clinically at the highest level.
While perhaps it was cruel, maybe it is not that bad to get these opponents out of the way. The newly promoted teams have had a tough introduction to life at the top but that experience should stand them in good stead when they have more winnable games — starting next week.
