Riyadh witnessed a dramatic shift in momentum for Al-Ittihad on Monday night, as Steven Bergwijn’s hat-trick secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Al-Hazem at a charged home stadium. The win follows a gritty 1-0 away triumph over Al-Qadsiah on Friday—a match the Tigers navigated with ten men for half the game—which had already begun to restore belief after a lackluster opening draw against Al-Kholood.
Al-Ittihad dominated the early exchanges against Al-Hazem, slicing through the visitors’ defense with precise through balls to Marwan Al-Sahafi and Youssef En-Nesyri. However, profligacy in front of goal—including an offside call and a missed chance by En-Nesyri—left the door open. Al-Hazem punished the wastefulness in the 18th minute when Afimico Pululu exploited space on the flank, drawing Danilo Pereira out of position before squaring for Abdulaziz Al-Dwehe to tap home.
The hosts responded with characteristic patience, reclaiming the lead before the interval. Houssem Aouar unlocked the defense to release Bergwijn for a powerful finish in the 34th minute. Seven minutes later, Al-Sahafi was fouled in the box, and the Dutch winger converted the ensuing penalty to make it 2-1.
Manager Jens Wissing’s half-time adjustments initially backfired as Al-Hazem seized control of the second half. They had a goal disallowed for offside shortly after the restart before equalizing on the hour mark, with Sofiane Bendebka outjumping Jan-Carlo Simic to head home a cross. Substitutions bringing on George Ilenikhena and Saleh Al-Shehri added impetus, but the decisive moment arrived via a defensive error. As Danilo rose for a header in the 81st minute, the ball struck Abdulrahman Al-Dakheel’s arm. A VAR review confirmed a second penalty for Al-Ittihad, and Bergwijn completed his treble with a emphatic strike reminiscent of Dominik Szoboszlai, sealing the three points.
Earlier, Al-Qadsiah rebounded from their Friday loss with a commanding 2-0 victory over Neom in a clash between two ambitious newly established top-flight sides. Tijjani Reijnders announced his arrival on his first full start, opening the scoring in the 29th minute. After Gaston Alvarez evaded pressure with a deft touch, he found the Dutch international on the edge of the box, where Reijnders drilled a precise finish past the goalkeeper.
Christopher Bonsu Baah’s cross forced a second penalty in the 56th minute when it struck the arm of Neom’s Abdulmalik Al-Oyayri, allowing Mateo Retegui to double the lead from the spot. Neom coach Christophe Galtier’s tactical gamble—bench warming Alexandre Lacazette following his brace against Al-Faisaly—failed to pay off; the French striker entered in the 61st minute but could not alter the outcome as Al-Qadsiah maintained firm control.
Action continues Tuesday with newly promoted Abha hosting Al-Khaleej at 7:05 p.m., followed by Al-Taawoun versus Al-Fayha at 7:10 p.m. The evening’s marquee fixtures kick off at 9:00 p.m., featuring Al-Ettifaq against visiting Al-Nassr and an all-Riyadh derby between Al-Shabab and Al-Riyadh.