Rio Ave vs Al-Ahli Jeddah

Roland Galcík's introduction in the second half shifted the balance. The 24-year-old's direct running and delivery created problems Al-Ahli had not faced in the first half. His assist for Ntoi's late equaliser underscored the impact new signings can have in pre-season integration. (Source: Record.pt)

• Roland Galcík (Rio Ave) — A debut to remember. The Slovak winger assisted the equaliser and was a constant threat after coming on. Record.pt noted he "left good indications regarding the potential he could add to the offensive sector."
• Andreas Ntoi (Rio Ave) — The Greek defender came off the bench to score the crucial 89th-minute header, demonstrating aerial threat from set-piece situations.
• Firas Al-Buraikan (Al-Ahli) — The Saudi international striker opened the scoring with a clinical 3rd-minute finish, leading the line effectively before being substituted.
• Matheus Gonçalves (Al-Ahli) — The Brazilian midfielder doubled Al-Ahli's lead inside six minutes and was influential in the first-half dominance.

Rio Ave's 2-2 final scoreline masks a tale of two halves. The 0-2 half-time deficit reflected Al-Ahli's clinical early finishing — two goals from their first two shots on target inside six minutes. Rio Ave grew into the contest as the game wore on, with their second-half pressure eventually yielding two goals in the final 15 minutes. The comeback was built on persistence rather than dominance; pre-season friendly statistics offer limited xG insight, but the timing of the goals — 75th and 89th minutes — tells a story of Rio Ave's increasing control as Al-Ahli's intensity dropped.

For Rio Ave, this was a valuable pre-season workout ahead of the 2026/27 Liga Portugal campaign. The character shown in recovering from two goals down will please Silaidopoulos, particularly with notable absentees — new signing Francisco Trincão, the Portuguese international signed from Sporting for nearly €40 million, was not involved as he remains on post-World Cup leave. (Source: Record.pt)

Al-Ahli, preparing for the 2026/27 Saudi Pro League season, will be frustrated at letting a two-goal lead slip but will take encouragement from their sharp early play. The Saudi side played without Trincão, who is yet to join up with his new teammates.

A pre-season friendly that delivered exactly what these games are meant to: fitness, experimentation and a spectacle. Al-Ahli's lightning start suggested a mismatch, but Rio Ave's second-half response — driven by a debutant winger and finished by a centre-back — showed the depth Silaidopoulos is building. Both sides will have sharper afternoons ahead, but the comeback gave Rio Ave the more useful narrative.