*** Al Khaldiya beat Busaiteen in football league | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Al Khaldiya beat Busaiteen in football league

TDT | Manama                                                       

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Defending champions Al Khaldiya came away with a fine victory over Busaiteen last night while Muharraq salvaged a late draw against bitter rivals Al Ahli in week four of the 2023/2024 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.

Khaldiya scored twice in the second half before conceding one in the game’s closing moments in their 2-1 triumph over Busaiteen. Muharraq, on the other hand, levelled the contest in stoppage time after Ahli appeared to be heading towards a narrow win.

The two matches were played at separate venues. In Khaldiya’s triumph, Ismaeel Abdullatif and Dhurgham Ismail were both on target for the winners. Abdullatif opened their account in the 73rd minute with a brilliant bicycle kick from inside the penalty area, and then Ismail doubled their advantage just five minutes later with a free-kick from a metre outside the box.

Ismail’s shot flew over the Busaiteen wall and into the goal. Busaiteen got their lone consolation in the third minute of second-half stoppage time through Saleh Al Zubaidi. Khaldiya improved to 10 points with the result following their third win in four matches. Busaiteen suffered their third loss and stayed on one point. Meanwhile, in the Muharraq-Ahli stalemate, Ahli went ahead in the 58th minute with a brilliant volley from Geovane Silva Santos from the edge of the penalty box.

He set his shot up with his first touch and then fired in a stunning rocket to the top-left corner of the net. But Muharraq equalised in the third minute of second-half stoppage time when Firas Shawat headed home off a corner kick, squeezing the ball into goal past Ahli’s Bahrain international goalkeeper Ebrahim Luthfallah. The share of the points helped Muharraq improve to five on the standings with their second draw. Ahli went to four points.