Saudi Gazette report
DAMMAM — Al Qadsiah introduced their intent as Roshn Saudi League title challengers with a 3-1 victory over top-flight debutants Al Najmah on Friday, powered by a brace from new Italian striker Mateo Retegui.
The Italy worldwide, final season’s Serie A prime scorer, wanted solely 5 minutes to make his mark, heading house Turki Al Ammar’s pinpoint cross to ignite the house crowd at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium.
Al Najmah, taking part in their first-ever RSL fixture, struggled to settle and conceded a second simply earlier than half-time when Julian Quinones, one in every of final season’s most prolific scorers, transformed from Nahitan Nandez’s help.
To their credit score, the guests responded after the break. Iraqi ahead Ali Jasim struck on 54 minutes to halve the deficit, and for a spell Al Najmah seemed able to pulling off a shock. However their resistance lastly cracked in added time, as Retegui pounced once more to seal the factors.
The summer season arrival from Atalanta lived as much as the fanfare, whereas Quinones and Nandez mixed to point out why Al Qadsiah’s recruitment drive has been among the many most spectacular of the offseason.
The consequence means final season’s fourth-placed finishers start the brand new marketing campaign in stride, whereas Al Najmah go away with positives regardless of the defeat of their historic debut.
