There were plenty of positives to take from Riyadh friendly ahead of World Cup qualifier against Palestine LONDON: Saudi Arabia beat Kuwait 1-0 on Thursday in the team’s first taste of international action of 2021. It was a well-deserved victory in Riyadh ahead of next Tuesday’s vital 2022 World Cup qualifier against Palestine. Three points in that game will see the Green Falcons go top of Group E above Uzbekistan with three games remaining in the second round of qualification. Only the eight group winners and four best runners-up progress to the next stage. Here are five talking points from the match. 1. Saudi Arabia looked like a cohesive team and controlled the game Friendlies can be dull affairs that mean little but coach Herve Renard ensured that this was never going to be an issue, and as Abdulrahman Gharib said after the game: “We prepared for and played this match as if it was a competitive game.” They did indeed with the home team producing a performance of intensity and energy, pressing Kuwait aggressively and intelligently despite the largely empty stadium. The movement, both with and without the ball, looked a step above what has been the case of late and the team looked like a cohesive one which was especially impressive given the lack of time that the national team has spent together of late and changes that Renard had made. In the first half, Saudi Arabia had an incredible 73 percent of possession with Kuwait having to resort to fouling to break down the home team’s rhythm. If the Green Falcons can play with a similar spirit going forward then a sixth World Cup appearance is very much a possibility. 2. Finishing let the team down It looked like a very bright start as the home team had the ball in the net after just two minutes only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside. After that however it was a case of missed opportunities as chances to score and put the game beyond Kuwait came and went. Abdullah Otafy swept wide from a good position and the forwards will feel they could have been more clinical. Given the inexperience of the forward line, criticism should not be too harsh as there is still time for younger players to make a name for themselves but it was not a surprise in the end that it took a set piece to break the deadlock with 20 minutes remaining on the clock. Mohammed Al-Kwikbi took a fine corner from the right and in came debutant Abdulelah Al-Amri, who had been on the field for just a couple of minutes, to get in front of the Kuwait defenders to send a powerful header home. It is always satisfying to see a player score in his first game but coach Renard will know that better teams than Kuwait will punish Saudi Arabia for their profligacy. 3. Despite lack of experience, central defense looked stable While Renard plumped for two fairly experienced full-backs with Mohammed Al-Breik and Ali Al-Bulaihi working hard out wide, the central pairing of Hassan Tambakti and Ziyad Al-Sahafi both have yet to reach double figures in international appearances. This new-look pairing worked well together and made it hard for the Kuwaiti strikers. Caught out of position only once or twice, the centre-backs also, after a slightly shaky opening period, used possession well. True, Kuwait did not present too much of a threat but the Saudi defenders kept their concentration to a degree that always suggested one goal would be enough to win the game and it finally came. 4. Captain Otayf relished responsibility There were a lot of positives to choose from the young and inexperienced international players but Abdullah Otayf showed his class in pulling the strings. The 28-year-old has recently returned to fitness after a lengthy injury but was at the heart of much of the good play produced by Saudi Arabia, especially in the first half. Intelligent with an ability to bring others into play, the Al-Hilal star gave a solid all-round performance. If only the skipper could improve his goalscoring abilities. 5. Palestine will present a tougher test than Kuwait It is not a surprise that Saudi’s next opponents have not had the best preparation and or played a meaningful game since November 2019, unlike Saudi Arabia who have at least had three friendlies. What is a surprise is the absence of some stars who have been in good form for their clubs such as Mahmoud Eid and Ahmed Awad who play in Qatar and Sweden respectively. Despite that, it is likely to be a hard-fought, close-run affair. Coach Nouraddine Ould Ali has talked of keeping things tight early on. Palestine need a good result in order to keep hopes of a third-place finish alive. The hosts will need to take their chances much more clinically than they did against Kuwait or it could be a frustrating evening for the team looking to go top of their group.