Al-Ettifaq vs Johor Darul Takzim FC

A goalless first half gave little indication of the drama to come. Both sides used the opening 45 minutes to build fitness in the Spanish heat, with few clear chances at either end.

The match exploded after the interval. Al-Ettifaq struck in the 50th minute to open the scoring, then added two more in quick succession — the second in the 64th minute and the third just 60 seconds later in the 65th. The Saudi Pro League side had turned a 0-0 stalemate into a 3-0 lead inside 16 minutes of the second half. Scorer names for Al-Ettifaq's three goals were not published in the official match data.

JDT refused to fold. New Iranian signing Shahab Zahedi, making an early impression in his first appearances for the Malaysian champions, pulled one back in the 83rd minute — his first goal for the club. Deep into stoppage time, Brazilian striker Bergson added a second in the 90+2nd minute to set up a tense finish, but Al-Ettifaq held on for the win.

The third Al-Ettifaq goal — arriving just one minute after the second — was the knockout blow. From 2-0 down, JDT could have regrouped at the next break. At 3-0, with the goal coming almost immediately after the restart, the mountain became too steep. Al-Ettifaq's ruthless one-two punch in the 64th and 65th minutes effectively decided the contest before JDT's late fightback gave the scoreline respectability.

Shahab Zahedi (JDT) — The Iranian forward, who joined JDT in the current transfer window, scored his first goal for the club with a well-taken finish in the 83rd minute. His introduction brought energy and purpose to JDT's attack when the game seemed lost, and he was a constant threat in the final quarter-hour. Player of the match.

Bergson (JDT) — The Brazilian striker, who scored 27 goals in the Malaysia Super League last season, added a stoppage-time consolation to make it 3-2. His movement in the box caused problems for Al-Ettifaq's defence throughout the second half.

Al-Ettifaq's attacking trio (unnamed in official data) — Three different scorers in a 16-minute window, with the second and third arriving just a minute apart. Whichever players were involved, the ruthlessness in transition was a clear positive for new head coach Artur Pappas (previously of Buriram United) as he builds his Saudi Pro League squad.

The raw timeline — 0-0 at half-time, then five goals in the second half — tells a story of two distinctly different periods. The goalless first 45 minutes reflected the pre-season context: both sides prioritising fitness and rotation over intensity. The second half, by contrast, saw Al-Ettifaq find a sharpness in front of goal that JDT could not match until late. JDT's two goals in the final 10 minutes (including stoppage time) suggest they grew into the game as Al-Ettifaq tired, a pattern familiar from pre-season friendlies where squad depth is tested through substitutions.

The gap between Al-Ettifaq's third goal (65') and JDT's first (83') is 18 minutes of sustained Saudi pressure that the scoreline alone does not fully capture.

This was JDT's second match of their pre-season training camp in Alicante, following a 1-0 loss to Al-Rayyan SC. The Malaysian Super League champions are working through a demanding schedule of friendlies against international opposition as they prepare for the 2026 Malaysia Super League season and their AFC Champions League Elite campaign.

Al-Ettifaq, under new head coach Artur Pappas, are building towards the 2026/27 Saudi Pro League season. The win provides a confidence boost, but the late defensive lapse that allowed JDT to score twice will be a concern.

Next fixtures: JDT face CD Contestano next in their Spain camp. Al-Ettifaq continue their pre-season programme with further friendlies ahead of the Saudi Pro League's new season.

A pre-season friendly defined by one explosive spell from Al-Ettifaq and a spirited JDT response that made the scoreline far more competitive than the game's middle third suggested. For JDT, the sight of Shahab Zahedi scoring his first goal — and Bergson doing what he does best — will be the most encouraging takeaway from a defeat. For Al-Ettifaq, the three-goal burst showed attacking promise, but conceding twice late in a pre-season friendly is a reminder that defensive concentration must last the full 90 minutes.