Defending champions Al-Hilal saw their Saudi Pro League title hopes fade further on Friday, April 11th, as they were held to a 1-1 draw away at Al-Ettifaq. The result leaves Jorge Jesus’s side seven points adrift of leaders Al-Ittihad with only seven games remaining.
Despite enjoying success in Asian competition midweek, Al-Hilal’s recent patchy league form continued (now just three wins in nine games). Ettifaq, driven by the in-form Gini Wijnaldum, took the lead on the stroke of halftime with a spectacular long-range strike from 20-year-old João Costa.
Al-Hilal dominated the second half and equalized in the 57th minute. Renan Lodi advanced down the left and pulled the ball back for his compatriot Malcom to fire high into the net from close range. The visitors pressed hard for a winner, with Aleksandar Mitrović, Marcos Leonardo, Kaio Cesar, and Abdullah Al-Hamdan all having chances, but Ettifaq held firm for a valuable point, remaining eighth in the table.
Al-Ahli Win at Al-Raed
Elsewhere on Friday, Al-Ahli climbed into fourth position with a 2-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Al-Raed. Franck Kessié opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half. Gabri Veiga, making a welcome return after a lengthy injury absence, sealed the three points with a goal midway through the second half.
The results leave Al-Ittihad top with 65 points, followed by Al-Hilal on 58. Al-Nassr sit third (54 points), with Al-Ahli now fourth (51 points), leapfrogging Al-Qadsiah. The dropped points are a significant blow to Al-Hilal’s defence of their title.
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