RIYADH (Interstat) — Al-Shabab overcame an early deficit and beat NEOM SC 3-1 on Tuesday, using a second-half surge to take control after NEOM SC had opened the scoring. Pepijn Doesburg finished with two goals, and Al Motasem Al Muqbali also scored for the home side. Georgios Masouras scored NEOM SC’s goal. The result left both teams at 1-1 in the competition. NEOM SC is now 2-3-1 across all competitions, while Al-Shabab is 4-1. Al-Shabab added to its lead later in the second half and completed the scoring before the final whistle. The home side’s comeback came after a bright opening from NEOM SC, which held the lead for most of the first half.

NEOM SC struck first in the 15th minute when Masouras found the net, giving the visitors an early lead. Al-Shabab pressed for an answer and broke through in the 55th minute, when Al Muqbali scored to level the match. The home side needed only five more minutes to move ahead. Doesburg scored in the 60th minute, and Al-Shabab protected its advantage from there while adding to its total before the finish. Al-Shabab’s second-half pressure produced two goals in a five-minute span and flipped the match. The goals changed the match after NEOM SC’s strong start, and Al-Shabab carried the lead into the final stages. Doesburg’s two-goal performance gave Al-Shabab a second attacking option after Al Muqbali’s equalizer. NEOM SC pushed for a response, but Al-Shabab’s back line kept the visitors from finding a second goal.

Doesburg’s statline read 72 minutes and two goals. Al Muqbali scored once while playing 90 minutes. Masouras scored for NEOM SC in 90 minutes. Alexandre Lacazette supplied an assist in 90 minutes for NEOM SC. Hussain Al Shahri had an assist in 74 minutes for Al-Shabab, and Youssef Al Shabibi added an assist in 44 minutes. Lacazette’s assist was part of NEOM SC’s attacking effort, while Al Shahri and Al Shabibi contributed to Al-Shabab’s buildup.

Al-Shabab’s defense held NEOM SC without another goal after the 15th minute, and the home side managed the closing stages with a lead. Al Shein received a yellow card for Al-Shabab in the 90th minute. Both teams made five substitutions. NEOM SC’s substitutions were Vada in the 31st minute, Al Absi in the 46th, Al Hassan and Al Saad in the 59th and Al Burayk in the 74th. Al-Shabab’s substitutions were Humaid in the 46th, Al Rushadi in the 50th, Doesburg and Bonsu in the 72nd and Al Shahri in the 74th. Doesburg was replaced after his two goals, and Al Shahri departed in the 74th minute. The late changes helped both sides adjust as the match moved into its final phase.

NEOM SC entered after a 2-0 win over Abha and a 4-0 win over Shab Hadramaut, but also had losses to Al Nassr and Al Ettifaq and a draw with Al Hazem. Al-Shabab had won four of five across all competitions, including a 2-1 win over Al-Samail, a 5-0 victory at Sohar and a 2-1 win over Saham, with its lone loss coming against Al-Duhail. NEOM SC’s previous results also included a 1-0 loss at Al Nassr and a 1-1 draw at Al Hazem, while Al-Shabab’s loss came at Al-Duhail. Al-Shabab’s home performance produced the decisive result.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 final score. Its ELO system gave Al-Shabab a 77.8 percent probability to win, while NEOM SC was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1. The total score of 4 went under the over/under line of 3.5. The final score differed from the simulator’s projection.