Muscat: Al Nahda Club secured an important 2-0 victory over Bahla Club in a match held on Saturday at Al Buraimi Sports Complex, as part of the fifth round of the Omani Premier League (OPL).
The first half began with clear control from Al Nahda players, as they were able to impose their style by taking possession of the ball, organising short passes, and penetrating from the centre.
On the other hand, Bahla Club players relied on counterattacks. Al Nahda Club players were able to create several attempts that resulted in scoring the first goal in the 17th minute, through a Thani Al Rashidi with a direct shot into the net.
After that, Bahla Club players tried to search for the equaliser, but without recording any dangerous chances on Al Nahda's goal. The last minutes of the first half witnessed dangerous chances for Al Nahda, but the team was unable to increase its score, so the half ended with Al Nahda leading by a clean goal.
In the second half, the pace of the game picked up, and Bahla's performance improved as their coach, Abdelhalim al Warimi, made offensive substitutions to strengthen the attack.
Both teams had opportunities from free kicks that were not capitalized on, and Bahla missed a chance to equalize in the 73rd minute when substitute Abdulsalam al Shuaili was one-on-one with Al Nahda's goalkeeper but shot wide of the post. A few minutes later, Al Nahda doubled their lead in the 75th minute with a header by Mohammed Khaseeb after a well-organised play.
The last 10 minutes of the match were intense, with both teams exchanging dangerous chances, but the defenses and goalkeepers held firm, preventing any further goals. The match ended with a 2-0 win for Al Nahda.
With this victory, Al Nahda raised their tally to 15 points, tying with Al Seeb at the top of the standings, though Al Seeb leads on goal difference.
Meanwhile, Bahla continued to struggle, suffering their second loss and remaining at the bottom of the table without any points. It's worth noting that this is Bahla’s second match since being promoted to the Professional League, replacing Dhofar Club, which failed to obtain the necessary license to participate in local and continental competitions.
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