Carrasco Hat-Trick Inspires Al Shabab to Dominant 6-1 Victory Over Al Ahli in Saudi Pro League

Al Ahli Saudi's impressive five-match winning streak across all competitions was decisively halted as Al Shabab inflicted a resounding 6-1 defeat in Riyadh. Playing at the SHG Arena, Marino Pusic's Al Ahli side proved no match for Al Shabab's relentless performance.

Al Shabab asserted control from the outset, with Ricardo Mathias opening the scoring in the second minute. Yannick Carrasco extended the lead before the half-hour mark, and Roger Martinez added a third goal in the 37th minute. Although Al Ahli's key player Feras Al Buraikan managed to pull one back in the 40th minute, Al Shabab maintained their commanding 3-1 lead at halftime.

The second half saw Al Shabab continue their dominance. Mathias netted his second goal of the match in the 48th minute, and Carrasco completed his hat-trick with successful penalties in the 66th and 82nd minutes, securing the emphatic 6-1 victory.

This was Carrasco's second hat-trick in the Saudi Pro League this season, following a similar achievement against Al Riyadh in February. The Belgian international has now scored six goals in the league this season. Al Ahli's Ivan Toney currently leads the league's scoring charts with 13 goals from nine appearances.

The win propelled Al Shabab to 10th place in the standings with 14 points, while Al Ahli remain sixth with 21 points.

Following the match, Al Ahli's Dutch coach Pusic acknowledged the significant and unexpected margin of defeat. "We made many individual mistakes," he stated. "The fans have the right to express what they feel, and I am a professional coach." He further elaborated that individual errors in the opening 25 minutes significantly impacted the game. "We won five matches in a row. I offer my apologies to the fans, and we promise them hard work in the next match against Al Sadd of Qatar."

Despite this league setback, Al Ahli is performing strongly in the Asian Champions League, where they are pursuing a third consecutive continental title. Star striker Ivan Toney, who missed the Al Shabab match, is expected to return for the upcoming Asian Champions League fixture against Qatar's Al Sadd.