Not since 2016 have Al Ahli experienced a night like this.
On that occasion it was a drought-breaking title triumph, their first in 32 years; on this it was passage through to a first continental final in 13 years.
The two came almost exactly nine years apart – nine years and four days to be precise – and both came against Al Hilal, and both with a 3-1 scoreline.
While the job is not done yet as they chase their first ever continental title, it is a night of celebration for the green half of Jeddah for this was a seismic victory in more ways than one.
There is the obvious football element of winning through to the final and the chance to win their first piece of continental silverware, having twice been denied in the past.
But this is also a victory on a deeper level.
Despite having one of the largest and most passionate fan bases in the Kingdom, as evidenced by the frenzied support they received at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Tuesday night, Al Ahli has tended to live in the shadows.
They live in the shadow of their bigger, and more successful, crosstown rivals, Al Ittihad, and especially in the shadow of the capital’s biggest clubs, Al Hilal and Al Nassr.
While that has probably always been the case, it is especially so since the PIF-led investment surge of recent years that has seen the profile of the other three explode on the back of signings the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar.
While Al Ahli’s own marquee signing, Riyad Mahrez, has been as influential as any of those three on the pitch, he doesn’t have the same reverence and mainstream appeal off the pitch, which impacts their global cut through.
It would widely be accepted that they are fourth of four when it comes to Saudi Arabia’s ‘Big Four’ clubs.
This victory, against the four-time Asian champions and self-described Kings of Asia, is a statement that they’re no longer prepared to accept their place in the pecking order. Very few teams have taken Al Hilal apart as Matthias Jaissle’s side did on Tuesday night.
From the first whistle they took the ascendency, and played on the front foot. Their forward press was relentless and didn’t allow Al Hilal to get any footing in the game, which is perhaps no surprise from a coach schooled in the Red Bull philosophy.
They had the lead inside ten minutes, and doubled it by the half-hour mark. Riyad Mahrez was his usual destructive self, Roberto Firmino showed his killer instinct near goals, while Ibanez and Merih Demiral enhanced their reputations with their typically aggressive and robust performances in the heart of defence.
In some respects the final 3-1 scoreline flatters Al Hilal. In the second half alone Al Ahli hit the woodwork three times, had two goals ruled out for marginal offsides and saw a penalty from Franck Kessie saved.
They had 21 shots to Al Hilal’s four, 18 of which were inside the box and seven of which were considered ‘big chances’.
The winning margin could have, and probably should have, been far greater than it was.
“It was a fantastic evening. I’m so, so proud,” Jaissle told reporters after the game.
“The performance from each player, the team, and the unit – and by unit I also mean the fans in the stadium – it was a totally deserved win.”
They slayed the giant, and with it you suspect have unshackled themselves from any inferiority complex they may have had when it came to their place within Saudi football. This is now the second time in the space of two months they have defeated Al Hilal.
This is also a remarkable victory for Jaissle himself, and the support he enjoys from the Al Ahli faithful. In many respects, he wasn’t meant to be here.
Earlier in the season, after a slow start in which they won only three of their first nine that all but ended their chances before the season had even reached the one-third mark, Jaissle’s papers were stamped.
It was widely reported that management, led by CEO Ron Gourlay, had agreed to replace the German with Massimiliano Allegri for next season, with an interim to be put in control in the meantime.
It seemed a harsh call at the time, particularly as Jaissle had overseen their third placed finish last season and wasn’t supported in the summer transfer market when he lost winger Allan Saint-Maximin without replacement, despite identifying it as their most pressing need.
He wasn’t shy in hiding his frustration, either.
“I was under some pressure,” Jaissle told GiveMeSport in December.
“It was a tough start to the season off the back of a difficult transfer window over the summer. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get our needs met in the market, and it has taken some time to find a solution.
“Our needs were clearly communicated over the summer. We wanted a left-winger, to fill the void left by Allan Saint-Maximin, a holding six and left full-back.”
Instead the club signed striker Ivan Toney in a headline-making, deadline day deal, but one that did little to address their needs and it showed with their early results, ones that Jaissle was set to pay the price for.
The fans had other ideas, however. They protested at Al Ahli HQ, making their feelings known that rather than replacing the coach, they wanted a change in senior leadership at the club.
“Enough failure… LEAVE!” read the banner left outside Al Ahli’s training complex, aimed squarely at Gourlay and the club’s senior leadership.
Remarkably, their voices were not only heard, but listened to. Jaissle was retained in an about face, and last month it was announced that Gourlay was to leave the club at the end of the season instead.
“After the Jeddah Derby, we analysed everything in detail – on and off the pitch,” Jaissle continued.
“We had a lot of internal talks and gave clear communication to the players. We stressed we must maintain unity. That was our main focus, and it’s helped us get back on track.
“All credit to the players. We stuck together as a team and showed we can deal with adversity. As a coach, I am really proud of this.”
The transfer support he craved arrived in the winter with the signing of Brazilian winger Galeno from FC Porto, who has given a fresh impetus to their attacking line up. Before the 27-year-old arrived, Al Ahli had scored 32 goals in 18 games in the Saudi Pro League, a rate of 1.78 per game.
Since his arrival, however, they’ve scored 28 in just 11 games at a rate of 2.55, with Ivan Toney scoring 12 of his 19 goals this season in that same period.
The difference he has made to the structure and output of the side has been transformational, which Jaissle knew it would be and explains why he was so publicly frustrated when his requests fell on deaf ears over the summer.
If you take the loss to Al Ittihad in November as the turning point, which Jaissle claimed it to be, and take just the results of the following 20 games then Al Ahli would be a game clear on top of the table, taking 47 of a possible 60 points.
Throw in a as-yet undefeated AFC Champions League Elite campaign, and the evidence is there that this was a side ready to challenge, but one that still entered this week, even in its home city, in the shadows of the two giants from Riyadh.
This win and this performance was the culmination of everything Jaissle has been working towards and has everyone in Jeddah, at least those wearing green, dreaming of a night on Saturday to eclipse all that have come before them.
Listen to TAG Extra LIVE from King Abdullah Sports City Stadium after Al Ahli’s stunning win over Al Hilal
