'I feel at home now': After wonderful welcome, Galeno intent on repaying Al Ahli fans | OneFootball

It went down to the wire, but in the end Al Ahli got their man.

Galeno jetted into Jeddah at the end of the January transfer window, with Al Ahli staving off apparent interest for the Porto winger’s services from clubs such as Juventus and Napoli.

Had circumstances been different, in fact, the Brazilian could already have been in Saudi Arabia’s second city, but playing against Al Ahli for their biggest rivals, Al Ittihad. The much-sought-after 27-year-old was reportedly in the sights of the 2022-23 Roshn Saudi League champions last summer, before the club opted for Dutchman Steven Bergwijn instead.

So, six months later when the opportunity arose again, Galeno had no hesitation in joining the RSL revolution. Al Ahli colours pinned to his mast, he will look now to be a thorn in Al Ittihad’s side as his new employers home in on, not only a return to a spot in the top three - they currently sit fifth - but also playing a decisive role in the title race.

In the next seven matchweeks, Al Ahli face all the teams currently above them. The most optimistic of their fans might even suggest the team is in that title contest themselves – and, mathematically, they most certainly are. After 19 rounds, there exists an 11-point gap between them and Al Ittihad at the summit.

Granted, it would take a herculean effort from here to land a first top-flight trophy since 2015-16, but in recruiting Galeno, Al Ahli have for sure narrowed those outside chances.

A winger by trade who boasted an impressive scoring record in Portugal (25 goals in the past two-and-a-half seasons), the pacey wideman adds a different dimension to Matthias Jaissle’s side and their attacking threat - something they’ve lacked since the departure of Allan Saint-Maximin, on loan, last summer.

The Frenchman’s absence was sorely felt at the beginning of the 2024-25 RSL as Al Ahli stumbled out of the gates, with only three wins in their first nine matches.

However, they’ve turned around their fortunes to such an extent that they now represent one of the form sides of the competition. Heading into Matchweek 20’s highly anticipated clash with third-placed Al Nassr, Al Ahli have reeled off nine victories from their past 10 league outings.

Indeed, if we take those 10 matches as a snapshot, they are the most in-form team in the league; if you created a table for that period, Al Ahli would be perched at the top. It’s been a massively impressive recovery from Jaissle’s men. So, while Galeno arrives to fill a hole in their set-up, he does so at a time of strength rather than weakness.

Merely days after arriving in Jeddah, he was thrust into the starting XI for last Friday’s RSL encounter at home against bottom-placed Al Fateh, which the hosts won 2-0. Completing 87 minutes on debut, Galeno showed glimpses of what he can produce once he properly settles into his new surrounds.

Interestingly, Jaissle has tweaked his formation to accommodate his latest addition. The German has preferred a 4-2-3-1 set-up for most of the season, with Ivan Toney up top and Roberto Firmino, the captain, in behind. Former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez had been stationed on the left, with either Gabri Veiga or Feras Al Buraikan on the right.

Against Al Fateh, though, there was a change to a 3-4-2-1, which could also be seen as a 3-4-3 depending on your view of the match. In that formation, Galeno was deployed on the left wing, where his six successful dribbles were a game high and his seven touches in the opposition penalty area was bettered only by Toney.

It was a solid first display from Galeno, who has been registered in the RSL in Firmino's place. After the game, the former expressed his gratitude towards the Al Ahli support for the welcome he received since touching down in the Kingdom.

“I just have to say thank you for the love the fans have shown me since I arrived, I feel at home now,” Galeno said. “It's important for a player to have fans on their side, to have those moments when they receive the ball, to shout.

"And I feel very happy now to be here, to be representing this very big club. Now it's time to continue the winning streak we've been on.”

Most definitely, that hot stretch will be put to the test this week when Al Ahli host Al Nass , who themselves are in super form having won four on the bounce in the league and five of their past six. The run has lifted Cristiano Ronaldo’s side into third, although they remain only three points above Al Ahli.

It’s a match, also, that will pit against one another two of the winter’s high-profile arrivals, in Galeno and Jhon Duran. The exciting Colombian, who last month joined Al Nassr from English Premier League Aston Villa, marked his RSL bow last Friday with a brace against Al Fayha.

Depending on the scoreline in Thursday’s late kick-off, not to mention the result in the earlier match between sixth-placed Al Shabab and fourth-placed Al Qadsiah, a win for Al Ahli could even see them leapfrog Al Nassr. If that transpires, they will jump into the top four for the first time this season.

There is therefore plenty on the line, especially when two of the RSL’s heavyweights, replenished recently with two of the league's standout signings, meet. Thus, there’s surely no better time for Galeno to make a name for himself in Jeddah - and further endear himself to the Al Ahli faithful.