Before the transfer window closed, Al-Ahli managed to sign a top Premier League forward. Ivan Toney is sure to help his new club and might even compete for the title of top scorer in the league. The team already boasts a very strong roster, which has also been further strengthened.
The start of the campaign was rocky for Al-Nassr, as a painful 1:4 defeat against Al-Hilal in the Super Cup impacted their morale. In that match, the opponents scored four goals from five shots on target—the defensive pairing of Ali Lajami and Aymeric Laporte couldn’t hold back the competition. Against Al-Fayha (4:1), Cristiano Ronaldo (1+1) and Anderson Talisca (2+0) secured the result, although the opponent still had many chances up front (15 shots).
Al-Ahli also failed to contain Al-Hilal in the semi-final of the Saudi Super Cup (2:1 after a penalty shootout). The absence of a traditional forward in Matthias Jaissle's system was noticeable in matches against Al-Orobah (2:0) and Al-Fateh (0:1), where the players were good at creating chances but still couldn't finish in the opponent's box. With Ivan Toney, the team gains a top finisher who can deliver 25-30 goals.
The upcoming encounter in Riyadh between Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli will not leave the audience bored. A year ago, the teams delighted the fans with a high-scoring match (4:3 in favour of the hosts), and now the revamped attacks promise to be even more exciting.
