FOOTBALL – Al Khaldiya and Al Ettifaq played to a thrilling draw last night while two-time defending champions Muharraq powered to their second successive victory as matchweek six continued in the 2026-27 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
Khaldiya and Ettifaq were both on target on either side of the break and battled until the final whistle before settling for a share of the points in a 2-2 standoff at the National Stadium in Riffa.
Soufiane Saeed Mahrouk, meanwhile, fired in a first-half winner to help lift Muharraq to a 1-0 win against East Riffa at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town.
The sixth round of the season wraps up tonight with two more fixtures, both kicking off at 7pm.
Malkiya and Al Ahli lock horns at the National Stadium while Hidd go up against Manama at Al Ahli Club Stadium in Mahooz.
In Khaldiya’s contest against Ettifaq yesterday, Mohammed Al Rumaihi opened Khaldiya’s account in the 23rd minute after heading home from near the penalty spot off a pass from North Macedonia teammate Darko Velkovski.
Etttifaq then equalised in the opening minute of first-half injury time with a stunning strike from nearly 30 yards out by Yassir Imrani.
He hit a left-footed rocket that Khaldiya custodian Ricardo Manuel da Silva got his hands on but could not stop.
After the re-start, Domagoj Drozdek scored on the hour mark from an acute angle on the right of the area to give Khaldiya back the advantage.
Ettifaq goalkeeper Godwill Chia Ndang then stopped a Mahdi Humaidan penalty in the 72nd minute, preventing Khaldiya from extending their lead after Drozdek was fouled on a corner kick.
But Ettifaq drew level once more in the 80th minute when Moroccan striker Abdelghafour Mehri tapped in from the face of goal off a short cross from Mohammed Abdulqayoom, which followed some brilliant play on the left of the box from Hasan Mohamed Abdo.
With the result, Khaldiya improved to 12 points and Ettifaq to 11 as both teams stayed behind leaders Riffa in the top three of the league table.
In Muharraq’s triumph last night, Mahrouk netted the match’s lone goal in the 42nd minute with a stunning header from close range off a short cross from the left delivered by Abdulla Alkhalasi.
Muharraq then missed a chance to double their lead after Edimar Ribeiro da Costa Junior hit the crossbar on a penalty in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Muharraq were awarded the spot kick after Elliot Jorge Simoes Inacio was brought down in the area by East Riffa’s Niger professional Moutari Amadou Tidjani.
Muharraq improved to eight points to climb to the top half of the standings with the result, while East Riffa stayed on seven markers with their third loss.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh