RIFFA, Bahrain (Interstat) — Al Riffa began its Bahrain Premier League campaign with a decisive 3-0 victory over Budaiya on Thursday afternoon at Stād Al Bahrayn Al Watanī.

The visitors controlled the match from the start, netting all three goals against the home side. Ebrahim Al Khatal opened the scoring deep into first-half stoppage time, finding the net in the 90+7 minute. The result defied a pre-match projection from Interstat, whose simulator had forecast a 1-1 draw, though its system heavily favored Al Riffa to win.

The win gives Al Riffa a 1-0 start to the league season, while Budaiya falls to 0-1. Both clubs see their overall records mirror those marks.