AMMAN, Jordan (Interstat) — In a match that defied pregame projections, Al Ahli SC and Al Salt SCC played to a 1-1 draw in Jordanian League football Thursday afternoon at Petra Stadium.

The result, which saw two goals scored in a frantic two-minute span late in the first half, left both clubs with identical records to open their domestic campaigns: no wins, no losses and one draw. The stalemate also represented the first result of the season for each side across all competitions.

The match was anticipated to favor the visiting Al Salt SCC. According to Interstat’s pregame analysis, its ELO rating system gave Al Salt a 60.50 percent probability of victory, with a game simulator projecting a 2-1 win for the visitors. That forecast was undone by a resilient performance from the home side and impactful substitutions.

After a physical opening half-hour that saw Al Ahli defender Ammar Al Hosary receive a yellow card in the 28th minute, Al Salt SCC broke through just before halftime. Midfielder Abdel Rahman Abu Al Kas found the net in the 39th minute, slotting a right-footed shot past the goalkeeper to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

The advantage was short-lived. Al Ahli SC responded almost immediately from the restart. In the 41st minute, substitute Hamza Zeyad, who had just entered the match, leveled the score with a well-placed header off an assist from Al Hosary. The defender, already on a yellow card, contributed key attacking play to atone for his earlier infraction.

The rapid exchange of goals energized the match, and tensions flared in first-half stoppage time. Al Ahli substitute Maher Al Shehri, who would later be credited with the assist on Zeyad’s equalizer, was shown a yellow card in the 45+1 minute. The chippy nature of the contest continued into the second half, with Al Salt’s Yousef Al Rawashdeh also booked in the 84th minute as both teams searched unsuccessfully for a winning goal.

The draw represents a point gained for Al Ahli SC, which managed to salvage a result at home after falling behind. For Al Salt SCC, it is a case of two points dropped after failing to hold a lead secured against the run of pregame statistical models. Both teams will look to secure their first victory of the young season in their next league fixtures.