Discipline Over Draws: Al Ahli Hold Al Hilal in Goalless Derby Showdown
2 February 2026
Discipline over Draws
German coach Matthias Jaissle of Al Ahli Jeddah said the derby against archrival Al Hilal was not about forcing a draw, and he praised his players.
The goalless draw came Monday at Kingdom Arena, in round 20 of the Roshan Saudi Pro League.
In post-match remarks, Jaissle said: 'We were disciplined, but discipline doesn't mean defending to force a draw'.
From First Leg to Today
He added: On the contrary, we were organized; that's something we build on, and in football, that's a positive.
He explained: You must adapt through the season against your opponent; today we had this approach: we defended with purpose, not for defense, and left no spaces.
He recalled: 'We produced a strong performance; I remember the 3-3 draw in the first leg, but this one was different'.
We finished level, and we did not concede a goal in a tightly contested game, a positive.
We defended well against Hilal; I can't recall a major save by Mendy, and I'm proud of the players who played as a unit; our spirit was on display.
He concluded: I can't judge the referees or control their decisions, because that's not our approach; still, we want to play with high intensity and win battles.
