Al-Qadisiyah Hold On for 3-3 Draw Against Al-Ettifaq

Al-Qadisiyah 3 Al-Ettifaq 3. The final whistle came as a release, not a celebration—a breathless Pro League encounter that swung between joy and despair in a matter of moments, ending in stalemate when one side had all but buried the other.

Al-Qadisiyah’s Explosive Start

Brendan Rodgers’ Al-Qadisiyah came out with purpose that felt almost inevitable. Within twelve minutes, they’d struck twice and seemed destined for a comfortable afternoon. Julián Quiñones opened the floodgates in the 12th minute, tucking away from Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat’s assist—a clean finish that sent the home crowd roaring. Three minutes later, Mateo Retegui made it 2-0, capitalizing on Christopher Bonsu Baah’s delivery with the kind of clinical finishing that suggested Al-Qadisiyah had read the script.

The statistics bore out their dominance: 51% possession, nine shots already racing toward Al-Ettifaq’s goal. Arthur Papas’ visiting side looked shell-shocked. They’d managed one yellow card—Meshal Al-Aeli’s caution in the sixth minute—but little else of substance. At 2-0 down before the quarter-hour, Al-Ettifaq were drowning.

Al-Ettifaq’s Lifeline

Then came the 26th minute, and Al-Ettifaq gasped for air. Bersant Celina converted, supplied by Abdoulaye Kanté, and the scoreline shifted from a rout to a contest. The away side hadn’t surrendered—they’d found an opening, however narrow. Yellow cards continued to accumulate (Yasir Al-Shammari joined the count in the 33rd), but Al-Ettifaq had injected belief into a match that had seemed decided.

The Collapse and the Recovery

Half-time brought wholesale changes. Both sides reshuffled: Al-Qadisiyah introduced Jehad Thakri and withdrew Abu Al-Shamat; Al-Ettifaq hauled off Meshal Al-Aeli and Yasir Al-Shammari, bringing fresh legs to the task. The momentum, somehow, felt as though it had shifted in the visitors’ favour.

By the 64th minute, that sensation became reality. Álvaro Medrán levelled at 2-2, supplied by Ondrej Duda—a goal that arrived amid a flurry of substitutions and seemed to crack Al-Qadisiyah’s composure entirely. Minutes later, Al-Qadisiyah pulled themselves together. Mohammed Hamad Al-Qahtani restored their lead in the 81st minute, courtesy of Turki Al-Ammar’s assist. 3-2. Surely this time the advantage would hold.

It didn’t. Four minutes later, Jordan Larsson levelled once more for Al-Ettifaq, Medrán providing the assist. 3-3. A gut punch delivered in the 85th minute when Al-Qadisiyah had all but sealed the points.

The closing stages dissolved into chaos. Al-Ettifaq accumulated five yellow cards across the match; Al-Qadisiyah three. The final whistle came with both sides emotionally spent. Al-Qadisiyah had squandered what should have been a commanding victory. Al-Ettifaq had clawed their way back from the brink only to snatch a point rather than seize all three.

What Comes Next

For Rodgers’ Al-Qadisiyah, this is two points lost on a night when they might have dominated. They’ll rue the defensive lapses that allowed Celina, Medrán and Larsson to find space when it mattered most. For Papas and Al-Ettifaq, there’s defiance in this draw—they came from 2-0 down and refused to break. In the Pro League’s regular season, that’s a result that feels both hollow and precious in equal measure.