DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA, September 11, 2026: Al Qadsiah scored three times, generated more chances and held the lead twice. They still walked away wondering how two points had disappeared.
Julián Quiñones scored in the 12th and 82nd minutes and Mateo Retegui struck three minutes after the opener, but Al Ettifaq repeatedly found a way back before Jordan Larsson’s 85th-minute equalizer completed a 3-3 Saudi Pro League draw.
Bersant Celina began the recovery for Al Ettifaq in the 26th minute before Álvaro Medrán made it 2-2 after 64 minutes. Quiñones appeared to have restored order when he struck again eight minutes from time, only for Larsson to answer almost immediately.
The result kept Al Qadsiah near the top of the early Saudi Pro League picture, but the larger story was not the number of goals. It was how quickly control kept changing hands.
Al Qadsiah finished with 15 shots to Al Ettifaq’s 10, six efforts on target to four, 54 percent possession and all three corners in the match. Those numbers normally describe the side most likely to win.
On Friday, they described a team that repeatedly did enough to take control without doing enough to keep it.
By The Sports Encounter Editorial Desk
Al Qadsiah vs Al Ettifaq: Match at a Glance
| Match detail | Al Qadsiah | Al Ettifaq |
|---|---|---|
| Final score | 3 | 3 |
| Goals | Quiñones 12′, 82′; Retegui 15′ | Celina 26′; Medrán 64′; Larsson 85′ |
| Shots | 15 | 10 |
| Shots on target | 6 | 4 |
| Possession | 54% | 46% |
| Corners | 3 | 0 |
| Fouls | 10 | 13 |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 5 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Offsides | 3 | 2 |
| Provisional league position | 2nd | 7th |
Quiñones and Retegui Needed Only Three Minutes to Take Control
Al Qadsiah’s opening quarter-hour looked like another confirmation that their early-season rise is genuine.
Quiñones struck after 12 minutes.
Retegui followed in the 15th.
Two goals in three minutes should have changed the entire shape of the contest. Al Qadsiah had the advantage, the attacking quality and a recent record suggesting they knew how to convert strong periods into results.
That has already happened several times this season.
Retegui and Quiñones scored seven minutes apart when Al Qadsiah defeated Diriyah 2-0, turning a balanced match through one devastating second-half spell.
They had also shown their attacking ceiling three days before facing Al Ettifaq, when Tijjani Reijnders scored twice in a 3-2 victory over Al Ahli.
Friday initially appeared to be following the same pattern.
Instead, Celina’s goal in the 26th minute changed the emotional direction of the match.
Celina’s Goal Made 2-0 Feel Much Less Comfortable
At 2-0, Al Ettifaq could easily have become stretched by chasing the match too aggressively.
Celina prevented that.
His 26th-minute goal did more than halve the deficit. It gave Al Ettifaq a reason to remain patient and made every subsequent Al Qadsiah mistake more consequential.
The visitors did not need to dominate possession.
They did not need to produce wave after wave of chances.
They needed to remain close enough for the next decisive moment to matter.
That approach was especially relevant after Al Ettifaq’s previous league performance. They had controlled much of their 0-0 draw against Al Faisaly, creating more shots and carrying more possession without finding the goal that their territorial advantage deserved.
Against Al Qadsiah, the problem was reversed.
Al Ettifaq created fewer opportunities but converted them with ruthless efficiency.
Four Shots on Target, Three Goals: Al Ettifaq Changed the Efficiency Equation
The most revealing statistic in the match was not possession or total shots.
It was Al Ettifaq scoring three times from four efforts on target.
That is a 75 percent conversion rate from shots that tested the goalkeeper.
Al Qadsiah put six efforts on target and also scored three, an excellent return in isolation. The difference was that Brendan Rodgers’ side had more of the ball, more attacking territory and more total attempts, meaning the responsibility to control the match increasingly belonged to them.
Al Ettifaq’s performance was closer to opportunism.
Al Qadsiah’s was about failing to protect an advantage they had already earned.
Medrán Turned Pressure Into a Second Equalizer
Álvaro Medrán’s 64th-minute goal completed Al Ettifaq’s first comeback of the evening.
From 2-0 down after 15 minutes, they had reached 2-2 with more than a quarter of the game remaining.
That alone should concern Al Qadsiah.
Their start to the season has been built partly on an ability to respond when matches become uncomfortable. They rebounded quickly from a 1-0 defeat against Al Ittihad, a result The Sports Encounter described as their first serious early-season reality check.
They then went away to NEOM and won 2-0, with Reijnders scoring on his first Saudi Pro League start. That response demonstrated how quickly Al Qadsiah could recover from disappointment.
This match asked a different question.
Could they manage a lead inside the same 90 minutes when an opponent refused to go away?
The answer was much less convincing.
Quiñones Looked to Have Won It in the 82nd Minute
When Quiñones scored his second goal after 82 minutes, Al Qadsiah had another opportunity to close the match.
This time, the equation was even simpler.
They did not need to manage an entire half.
They needed to protect a one-goal lead for little more than ten minutes including stoppage time.
Quiñones has become central to Al Qadsiah’s transformation from ambitious outsider into a club that expects to challenge the established Saudi hierarchy.
His influence has already extended well beyond domestic results. The official Saudi Pro League has highlighted his individual recognition during a start to the season in which Al Qadsiah have remained among the leading sides.
His second goal here should have become another match-winning contribution.
It lasted three minutes.
Larsson’s 85th-Minute Goal Exposed the Real Problem
Jordan Larsson equalized in the 85th minute.
The timing matters.
Conceding after 64 minutes can be explained by an opponent building pressure across a long second half.
Conceding only three minutes after taking a late lead points toward something different: concentration, defensive organization and game management.
Al Qadsiah did not have enough time to settle after going 3-2 ahead.
That is precisely why their reaction immediately after scoring mattered so much.
Strong title contenders learn when a match needs another attack and when it needs five minutes of control.
Friday suggested Al Qadsiah are still developing that instinct.
Three Turning Points That Changed the Match
| Turning point | What happened | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| 12′-15′ | Quiñones and Retegui scored three minutes apart | Al Qadsiah established what should have been a commanding early position |
| 26′ | Celina pulled one back | Al Ettifaq stayed within one goal and avoided allowing the match to become stretched |
| 82′-85′ | Quiñones restored Al Qadsiah’s lead before Larsson equalized | The three-minute turnaround exposed Al Qadsiah’s inability to manage the decisive late phase |
Al Qadsiah’s Numbers Were Good Enough to Win
There is no obvious attacking crisis to diagnose.
Fifteen shots is healthy.
Six on target is productive.
Three goals should win most league matches.
Al Qadsiah also controlled 54 percent of possession and finished with three corners while Al Ettifaq did not win one.
The issue sits elsewhere.
Three goals conceded from four shots on target means too many of Al Ettifaq’s dangerous moments became decisive moments.
That becomes more important when placed against Al Qadsiah’s recent performances.
Against Al Ahli, they also scored three times but had to survive a late comeback after leading 3-0. That 3-2 win already contained a warning about protecting advantages.
Three days later, the warning became two dropped points.
The Pattern Is Becoming Worth Watching
This does not make Al Qadsiah fragile.
Their opening seven rounds provide too much evidence in the opposite direction.
They have beaten Al Shabab, NEOM, Al Faisaly, Diriyah and Al Ahli. Their only league defeat before this game came against Al Ittihad.
The broader Matchweek 5 picture had already established them among the sides applying pressure near the top, as The Sports Encounter’s Saudi Pro League analysis showed.
But genuine title challenges are usually shaped by what happens after a team takes the lead.
Al Qadsiah have enough attacking quality to create winning positions.
The next stage is learning how often those positions should become uneventful victories.
Al Ettifaq Deserve Credit for Refusing the Obvious Ending
The conversation should not become entirely about Al Qadsiah’s mistakes.
Al Ettifaq had plenty of reasons to disappear from this match.
They were 2-0 down inside 15 minutes.
They later fell behind again with only eight minutes remaining.
They recovered both times.
That resilience has appeared elsewhere in their season, even when the result did not follow. Against defending champions Al Nassr, Al Ettifaq built a 2-0 lead before eventually losing 3-2 to a dramatic comeback.
That match became part of a wider early-season theme explored in The Sports Encounter’s analysis of Al Nassr’s resilience during their opening run.
This time, Al Ettifaq were the team refusing to accept the direction of the game.
Celina gave them belief.
Medrán completed the first recovery.
Larsson completed the second.
What the Draw Means for the Saudi Pro League Table
The point provisionally left Al Qadsiah second and Al Ettifaq seventh immediately after full time, although positions can shift as the remainder of the round is completed.
The official Saudi Pro League standings provide the live table as Matchweek 7 develops.
For Al Qadsiah, the two dropped points matter because the top of the league has already become congested.
Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Qadsiah have all established themselves in the early race. The Sports Encounter’s recent title-race analysis showed how quickly one result can rearrange that group.
The 2026-27 league calendar contains 34 rounds and 306 matches, according to the Saudi Pro League’s official fixture announcement. Seven matches therefore settle nothing.
They do, however, begin revealing habits.
Al Qadsiah’s attacking habit is increasingly clear: they can hurt almost anyone.
The defensive habit requires more attention.
What Comes Next for Al Qadsiah and Al Ettifaq?
Al Qadsiah leave this game with evidence that their front line remains dangerous and that Quiñones can continue deciding major moments.
They also leave with a problem Rodgers will not want repeated.
They have now experienced consecutive home league matches in which an apparently secure advantage became uncomfortable. Against Al Ahli, they survived. Against Al Ettifaq, they did not.
Al Ettifaq’s lesson is almost the reverse.
Their previous 0-0 against Al Faisaly showed possession and shot volume without enough cutting edge.
Here they produced only four shots on target and scored three times.
The challenge is finding a middle ground between those two performances.
If they can combine the control shown against Al Faisaly with the efficiency shown against Al Qadsiah, their seventh-place position may prove temporary.
For Al Qadsiah, the draw should sting more.
They were good enough to lead twice.
The next step toward becoming a genuine championship side is making sure opponents do not get asked whether they want another way back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score between Al Qadsiah and Al Ettifaq?
Al Qadsiah and Al Ettifaq drew 3-3 in their Saudi Pro League match on September 11, 2026.
Who scored for Al Qadsiah against Al Ettifaq?
Julián Quiñones scored twice, in the 12th and 82nd minutes, while Mateo Retegui scored in the 15th minute.
Who scored for Al Ettifaq?
Bersant Celina scored in the 26th minute, Álvaro Medrán equalized in the 64th, and Jordan Larsson scored the final equalizer in the 85th minute.
How did Al Qadsiah lose a 2-0 lead?
After Quiñones and Retegui put Al Qadsiah 2-0 ahead inside 15 minutes, Celina pulled one back before halftime and Medrán equalized in the second half.
Did Al Qadsiah take the lead again?
Yes. Quiñones scored his second goal in the 82nd minute to make it 3-2 before Larsson equalized three minutes later.
How many shots did Al Qadsiah have?
Al Qadsiah attempted 15 shots, with six on target. Al Ettifaq recorded 10 attempts and four on target.
Who had more possession?
Al Qadsiah controlled 54 percent of possession compared with Al Ettifaq’s 46 percent.
What position are Al Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League?
Al Qadsiah were provisionally second immediately after the match. Their position may change as the remainder of Matchweek 7 is completed.
What position are Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League?
Al Ettifaq were provisionally seventh after collecting a point from the 3-3 draw.
What was the biggest tactical lesson from Al Qadsiah vs Al Ettifaq?
Al Qadsiah created enough chances and scored enough goals to win, but twice failed to control the period immediately after establishing an advantage. Al Ettifaq exploited those transitions with unusually efficient finishing.
