Al-Shabab 6-1 Al-Ahli: early red card for Al-Sanbi opens the way for a rout and a Carrasco hat-trick
Al-Shabab thrashed visitors Al-Ahli 6-1 in Matchweek 12 of the Saudi Pro League, a game turned by the straight red card shown to Al-Ahli goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi in the 22nd minute, with Belgian Yannick Carrasco scoring a hat-trick and Brazilian Ricardo Mathias scoring twice.
The match was played on the evening of Friday 30 October 2026 at SHG Arena in Riyadh and began with an early shock for Al-Ahli when Ricardo Mathias opened the scoring in the second minute. In the 22nd minute the referee sent off goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi for handling the ball outside his penalty area, leaving Al-Ahli with ten men and forcing them to bring on young goalkeeper Abdullah Abdo in place of defender Rayan Hamed.
Carrasco scored the second goal from the free kick awarded for that same foul in the 25th minute, and Colombian Roger Martínez added a third from the penalty spot in the 37th. Feras Al-Buraikan pulled one back for Al-Ahli in the 40th minute from a Matheus Gonçalves pass, and Al-Shabab led 3-1 at half-time.
After the break Mathias headed in the fourth goal in the 48th minute from a Yacine Adli cross, before Carrasco completed his hat-trick with two penalties in the 66th and 82nd minutes. The result lifts Al-Shabab to 14 points and tenth place, while Al-Ahli stay on 21 points in sixth.
Al Majlis Analysis: The scoreline cannot be read apart from the 22nd minute. Losing the first-choice goalkeeper with no experienced keeper on the bench forced Al-Ahli into an early tactical sacrifice of a defender, the side lost its shape in the middle, and set pieces and penalties became an open door. Al-Shabab, by contrast, made the most of the extra man with an organised team that knew when to press and when to slow the tempo, while Carrasco acted as the real leader in the decisive moments. The win gives Al-Shabab a big lift to climb out of mid-table, but it leaves Al-Ahli with deeper questions about how they manage their goalkeepers and defensive depth before a crowded stretch of the season that cannot afford many more nights like this.