diriyah vs al-ahli: Pusic’s first XI and live score
Al-Ahli coach Marino Pusic has leaned on two new signings and a backup goalkeeper for diriyah vs al-ahli in the Saudi Roshn League opener at Al-Awwal Park…
diriyah vs al-ahli kicked off the Saudi Roshn League season at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on Thursday, with Al-Ahli head coach Marino Pusic choosing a lineup shaped by absences, new arrivals and one clear early target: a fast start. According to GOAL, Pusic turned to goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi because Senegal international Edouard Mendy is unavailable after the injury he picked up at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The same report said Pusic also handed starts to Portuguese winger Francisco Trincao, signed from Sporting Lisbon, and Armenia midfielder Eduard Spertsyan, who arrived from Russia’s Krasnodar. Trincao replaced Riyad Mahrez, while Spertsyan came in for Franck Kessie after both players left Al-Ahli during the current summer transfer window. French midfielder Enzo Millot was left out as the club looks to offload him this summer.
diriyah vs al-ahli: the selection call that shaped the opener
That mix tells the story of Al-Ahli’s approach on opening night. Pusic did not wait to ease new faces in. He used them immediately. Al-Ahli, GOAL reported, are chasing the title they last won in 2016, and the club wanted an immediate response at the start of the 2026-2027 campaign.
ESPN’s live match page listed the game as part of the Saudi Pro League and showed both sides at 0-0-0 before kickoff. It also recorded the opening goal from Eduard Spertsyan in the 25th minute, giving Al-Ahli the early edge in a match that began with expectation on one side and curiosity on the other.
The lineup itself was not a surprise to those tracking Al-Ahli’s summer window. Trincao and Spertsyan arrived with enough pedigree to go straight into a big fixture, and Pusic’s decision to start them signaled trust as much as necessity. Al-Sanbi’s selection also underlined the impact of Mendy’s absence, with the Senegal goalkeeper still sidelined by the injury suffered during the World Cup.
Why the opener matters for Al-Ahli
For Al-Ahli, this is more than a first-round game. A flat start would have raised immediate questions about a side that has spent the summer reshaping its attack and midfield. A sharp one, by contrast, gives Pusic a quicker platform to settle the squad and keep the focus on the title chase. Simple enough. Start well, and the noise stays down.
ESPN’s match page also placed the fixture at King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia in its game information section, while GOAL identified Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh as the venue for Thursday’s opener. By the 46th minute, ESPN showed Al-Ahli still ahead, with the live timeline continuing to track the game after Spertsyan’s first-half strike.
That early lead matters because the margin for error in a title race is thin from the first week. Al-Ahli wanted pace, control and a clean response to all the summer turnover. Spertsyan gave them one goal and a head start. The next test is whether Pusic’s new-look side can keep it moving from here.
