'We have blood in the body, no?' Nine-game streak snapped, Al Raed looking up | OneFootball

Little wonder Odair Hellmann and staff looked somewhat tense on the touchline.

Al Raed may have been 3-1 up at Al Riyadh in the capital on Thursday and the match creeping towards its conclusion, but they weren’t going to take anything for granted.

That was perhaps understandable. Al Raed were on the worse run in the 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League, losing nine matches on the bounce. Subsequently, they had slipped into the relegation zone.

To make matters worse, there was the 104th-minute loss to Al Hilal in Matchweek 13 that still played on their minds, not to mention the defeat last month to Al Kholood, sealed right at the death.

So, irrespective of the scoreline and considering the club’s plight, the stress was justified.

“All players, all people on the bench, were more nervous, but this is normal,” Hellmann said. “We have blood inside the body, no? You want this too much.

“And because of this the players and the staff stay a little nervous. But today the details change for us.”

The fortune changed, too. Al Riyadh forward Mohamed Konate skied his penalty deep into injury-time when halving the deficit might have frayed the visiting players’ nerves a little more.

And especially since, from 71 minutes on and with the score only 2-1 to the away side, Al Raed were reduced to 10 men following Mathias Normann's second booking.

However, the Buraidah club held on to finally arrest the downward spiral. A first RSL victory in 10, a stretch dating all the way back to November, was theirs.

“I want to say thank you so much for the players,” Hellmann offered. “The players do everything in the field. This victory came today but the team deserve this victory before because, before this moment, they played to get the victory. But sometimes football is like this.”

Even with another 13 rounds to go this season, the win felt precious. Al Raed, whose squad looks bulkier now a number of players are returning to fitness, concluded Matchweek 21 in 15th, one spot and one point outside the dreaded bottom three places.

Ironically, it was Hellman who last term masterminded Al Riyadh’s great escape, the club ensuring top-flight status on the final day. So the Brazilian understands acutely what’s needed if he’s to guide Al Raed to the same outcome.

That quest resumes on Tuesday, when they host sixth-placed Al Shabab.

“There were more players back [against Al Riyadh], not 100 percent but normal condition,” Hellmann said. “But the team is stronger; the team has more options to change. The team deserve this victory. Congratulations for all. They worked so hard. And let’s go, to continue in front.”

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