2024-25 Thrillers: The campaign's instant classics

Feature 09 Aug 2025

The ecstasy of a last-minute winner and the euphoria of an unlikely come-from-behind victory; they are emotions felt by fans the world over, and the Roshn Saudi League is no exception.

Right across the breadth of the Kingdom, fans of all teams have experienced the sense of elation - or pain, depending on their allegiances - from a thrilling 90 minutes (or more) of football.

And, with the 2025-26 RSL not too far away now, we thought we’d look back at some of the best thrillers that kept us on the edge of our seats last season.

Talk about whetting the appetite.

--------

Matchweek 1 - Al Wehda 3-3 Al Riyadh

Well, talk about beginning the season with a bang: Al Wehda and Al Riyadh played out one of the best games of the entire 2024-25 campaign on the very opening weekend.

Al Wehda’s Australian international Craig Goodwin was on fire to start the season, scoring a brace, including the opening goal before half-time.

The teams then traded goals throughout the 90 minutes, but it was the home side who thought they had snatched the three points when Morad Khodari scored in the fourth minute of stoppage-time.

However, there was still time for Al Riyadh debutant Lucas Kal net a screamer from long range three minutes later to take home a share of the points.

--------

MW11 - Al Khaleej 3-2 Al Hilal

Even with their improved form, Al Khaleej were expected to be no match for high-flying Al Hilal when they met in Matchweek 11.

Certainly, that appeared the case when goals from Marcos Leonardo and Aleksandar Mitrovic saw the defending champions race to a 2-0 lead, although an intervention just before the interval from Abdullah Al Salem gave the home side hope.

When Al Salem secured his brace two minutes into the second half, Al Khaleej came alive with the belief of achieving the seemingly impossible.

That became reality once Fabio Martins netted five minutes before time to secure the win and become the first team to defeat Al Hilal in the RSL, rather incredibly, since the 2022-23 season. That run halted at whopping 47 matches.

--------

MW13 - Al Hilal 3-2 Al Raed

After being on the receiving end just two weeks prior, this time it was Al Hilal dishing out the late drama, at home to lowly Al Raed.

What on paper looked an easy three points proved anything but for Jorge Jesus’ men and, when Yahya Sunbul scored with less than 15 minutes remaining, a second loss in three games for the champions appeared on the cards.

However, a goal in the 87th minute from Marcos Leonardo squared things up before the latest of late goals - in the 10th minute of added-time no less - from Ali Al Bulayhi saved the blushes of Al Hilal. Cue the trademark balloon celebration.

--------

MW17 - Damac 2-1 Al Ittihad

Locked with Al Hilal in a see-saw battle at the top of the table, Al Ittihad travelled to face Damac at the midway point of the season confident of a much-needed three points.

But enter Kevin-Georges N’Koudou.

The Cameroon international was at his imperious best, opening the scoring on 17 minutes before netting a dramatic winner in the 94th minute, after Karim Benzema had equalised on the stroke of half-time.

The team from Khamis Mushait had snatched a famous win, and the RSL title race looked to be shocked to its core.

--------

MW17 - Al Qadsiah 2-1 Al Hilal

However, while Al Ittihad rued dropping points to Damac, the blow was softened by the fact their title rivals did the same.

A feature of last season was the number of late winners scored by Al Qadsiah’s self-described showman, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with the Gabon international netting six of his 17 goals after the 85th minute.

One of the most notable came at home to Al Hilal, with a goal in the 92nd minute securing one of the finest wins of 2024-25 for the newly promoted side. They went on to finish fourth.

--------

MW21 - Al Nassr 2-3 Al Ettifaq

A resurgent Al Ettifaq notched arguably their greatest victory of the RSL season in dramatic fashion in Matchweek 21.

In the fourth game with new manager Saad Al Shehri following the departure of Steven Gerrard, the Dammam-based side travelled to the capital with renewed hope after two wins out of three.

Two goals in the final 10 minutes, including a winner from a revitalised Georginio Wijnaldum, saw the visitors complete a dramatic comeback - in one of the shock results of the season.

--------

MW23 - Al Hilal 2-3 Al Ahli

When the traditional “big boys” meet in the RSL there are always fireworks, and that was certainly the case when Al Ahli travelled to the capital in Matchweek 23.

This was the Ivan Toney show, the moment the England international really announced his arrival in the RSL. After shooting Al Ahli to a 2-0 lead with goals early in the second half, Matthias Jaissle’s men saw their lead disappear in 10 minutes from Al Hilal in a classic encounter.

But Toney wasn’t done yet, securing his hat-trick two minutes from time to seal a dramatic win for the Jeddah club. The striker's soon-to-be-rocketing debut campaign in Saudi had lift-off.

--------

MW25 - Al Okhdood 2-1 Al Ahli

Al Okhdood’s win against Al Ahli in Matchweek 25 will go down as probably the most dramatic of the season.

With Jaissle’s side finding form after a slow start to the season, and against a team battling relegation, this was expected to be a comfortable win for the Jeddah outfit. That looked to be the case given Al Ahli led 1-0 going into stoppage-time. But that’s right when it all kicked off.

Saleh Al Abbas’ goal in the fifth minute of added time looked, initially, to have snatched a precious point for his side. However, the best was yet to come because, four minutes later, Saviour Godwin lived up to his name, stealing the most unlikely of victories in the most dramatic of circumstances.

--------

MW29 - Al Taawoun 4-3 Al Raed

The Qassim Derby is always one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures on the RSL calendar and, with Al Raed relegated at the end of last season, it’s a fixture we’ll have to wait a little longer to see again.

Still, the two teams left us with a thriller in the final installment of last season. Despite taking an early lead, Al Raed saw their advantage disappear in the blink of an eye as Al Taawoun put four past them in only 19 minutes spanning either side of half-time.

Clinging on for survival, Al Raed almost recorded a remarkable comeback with goals in the 54th and 74th minutes closing the margin to just a solitary goal. Al Taawoun hung on, though, with Qassim’s yellow half celebrating after a seven-goal thriller.