TABŪK, Saudi Arabia (Interstat) — Alexandre Lacazette’s second-half goal was the difference as NEOM SC opened its Pro League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Al Riyadh on Friday at King Khalid Sport City Stadium.

The match, played on Feb. 6, 2026, saw the home side control large stretches of play but struggle to break down a disciplined Al Riyadh defense until the 55th minute. The decisive moment arrived when veteran forward Lacazette found space inside the penalty area and finished clinically with his right foot to secure all three points for the hosts.

The assist on the goal was credited to forward Ahmed Jaber, whose through ball unlocked the visiting defense. The buildup involved multiple NEOM SC players in a cohesive attacking move.

The result immediately separated the two sides in the early Saudi Pro League table. NEOM SC begins the season with a perfect record of one win and zero losses, both in the league and across all competitions. Al Riyadh, conversely, starts with a record of zero wins and one loss in all matches.

The game was a physical affair, with the referee issuing seven yellow cards. Al Riyadh’s Abdulelah Al Khaibari received the first booking in the 21st minute for a tactical foul. The second half saw the majority of the cautions, with six players booked between the 65th and final minutes. NEOM SC’s Khalifah Al Dawsari, Ahmed Jaber, Sultan Harun and Ammar Al Harfi were all shown yellow cards, as were Al Riyadh’s Mamadou Sylla and Milan Borjan. The flurry of late cards indicated a tense and fragmented conclusion as Al Riyadh pushed unsuccessfully for an equalizer.

Statistically, the narrow victory aligned with pre-match projections from Interstat, which gave NEOM SC a 73.90 percent probability of winning based on its ELO rating system. However, the final score defied the organization’s game simulator, which had predicted a 1-1 draw.

NEOM SC’s performance, while yielding a win, highlighted an area for improvement in converting possession and pressure into a more comfortable scoreline. Al Riyadh, despite being shut out, demonstrated defensive organization for much of the contest but lacked a sustained attacking threat to trouble the NEOM SC goal seriously.

The victory provides a positive foundation for NEOM SC’s league season, while Al Riyadh will look to regroup and find its first points and goals of the campaign in its next outing.