Lovro Chelfi makes first professional start as Diriyah beat Al Riyadh

Lovro Chelfi made his first professional start for Diriyah as the Saudi Arabian club secured a 1-0 victory over Al Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League.

The young Algerian-born Croatian winger, who came through Barcelona’s youth system before moving to Saudi Arabia in the summer, was selected ahead of Algerian international Adil Boulbina for the encounter against Victor Lekhal’s side.

Wearing the number 25 shirt, Chelfi made his presence felt early in only his second appearance for the club. The Croatia Under-19 international showed his attacking intent with a series of promising runs down the left flank.

His first notable contribution came from a corner, which Wadi met with a volley. However, Al Riyadh goalkeeper Milan Borjan was equal to the effort and kept the ball out.

Chelfi continued to threaten from the left, later driving forward before cutting the ball back into a dangerous area. Borjan again reacted well to deny the attacking move.

Diriyah took the lead in the 13th minute through Spanish midfielder Oscar Rodriguez. Chelfi was well placed to attack the cross but allowed Rodriguez to finish the move and put his team ahead.

Despite his movement and attempts to create opportunities, the young winger was often overlooked by his teammates when making forward runs. He also came close to getting on the scoresheet after connecting with a cross and striking with his left foot, only for his effort to narrowly miss the target.

Al Riyadh attempted to find an equaliser after the break, with Lekhal coming close on two occasions. The midfielder first tested the opposition with a well-struck volley, but the goalkeeper was positioned to make the save.

Lekhal then tried again with a cross-shot that passed narrowly wide of the post as Al Riyadh continued to search for a way back into the match.

Boulbina was introduced in the 66th minute, replacing Chelfi as Diriyah looked to maintain their advantage. The Algerian forward soon made an impact by winning possession and launching a counter-attack before playing the ball towards Diandy, who could not quite reach it.

In stoppage time, Boulbina made another attempt to influence the game, racing down the left wing in an effort to get past the goalkeeper before creating another opportunity for a teammate. Neither move resulted in a goal.

Diriyah held on to their narrow advantage to claim all three points, with Rodriguez’s first-half strike proving decisive.

The victory leaves Diriyah seventh in the Saudi Pro League standings, while Chelfi will take encouragement from making his first professional start for the club.