Al Fateh 1–3 Al Shabab | Pro League | 22 October 2026

Result Summary

Al Shabab claimed a commanding 3–1 victory over Al Fateh in the Pro League, with the match effectively settled before the half-time whistle. Goals from Ricardo Mathias da Silva and a brace from Ali bin Hadi bin Mohammed Al Bulayhi gave Thomas Letsch's side a dominant win, while Lukáš Haraslín provided only a brief moment of hope for the hosts.

Match Analysis

Al Shabab wasted little time asserting their authority. As early as the 17th minute, Da Silva opened the scoring with a right-foot finish, set up by Roger Martínez, signalling the visitors' intent from the outset. Just a minute earlier, Al Bulayhi had been booked for a foul, but that yellow card did nothing to dampen Al Shabab's momentum — the same player doubled the lead on 31 minutes with a powerful header, making it 2–0 before the half-hour mark had long passed.

Al Fateh did manage a response before the break. On 40 minutes, Haraslín converted with his left foot, assisted by Wilfried Kanga, briefly cutting the deficit to 2–1 and offering the home crowd some encouragement heading into the tunnel.

However, any hope of a second-half revival was swiftly extinguished. On 54 minutes, Al Bulayhi completed his brace — this time with a left-foot shot assisted by Yacine Adli — restoring the two-goal cushion and effectively ending the contest.

The statistics paint a clear picture of Al Shabab's superiority. The visitors controlled 59% of possession and registered an impressive 25 total shots, with 10 on target — compared to Al Fateh's 16 shots and just 3 on target. Al Fateh's 96 attacks versus Al Shabab's 78 suggests the hosts were not without ambition, but key passes told a sharper story: Al Shabab produced 19 to Al Fateh's 14, highlighting the visitors' greater quality in the final third.

The second half also brought disciplinary drama for Al Fateh. Substitute Ziyad Maher Aljari, introduced at the break, received two yellow cards in quick succession — in the 72nd and 75th minutes — meaning he was dismissed, compounding a miserable evening for Jamal Sellami's side. A VAR decision at 71 minutes also involved Aljari, adding further scrutiny to his brief and turbulent contribution. Daniel Podence of Al Shabab had also been cautioned in the 44th minute, but the visitors managed the remainder of the game comfortably through a series of measured substitutions.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match forecast called for a 1–2 Al Shabab win, with an away victory assigned a 47% probability and a confidence rating of 54/100. The outcome — a 1–3 Al Shabab victory — confirms the directional prediction was correct, with the away side winning as anticipated. The actual margin of victory exceeded our forecast, reflecting Al Shabab's clinical efficiency, particularly in the first half. The scoreline underlined that the 47% away-win probability was well-founded, even if the scale of the result leaned more decisively than our model projected.

Key Takeaways

• Al Bulayhi's brace was the defining contribution of the match, giving Al Shabab a commanding grip they never relinquished.
• Al Fateh's shot accuracy was poor — 16 shots yielding only 3 on target highlights a lack of cutting edge despite reasonable attacking volume.
• Aljari's double yellow sums up a chaotic second half for Al Fateh, leaving the hosts with tactical and disciplinary questions to address.
• Under Thomas Letsch, Al Shabab demonstrated clinical composure and controlled the match through superior possession and chance creation.