Al-Ittihad took a significant step towards claiming the Saudi Pro League title with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Ettifaq in Jeddah on Monday, extending their lead at the top to six points after rivals Al-Hilal were held to a draw.
Playing after their title challengers stumbled, Al-Ittihad knew a win would put them firmly in control with just five games remaining. However, they had to recover from an early setback after Vitinho fired Ettifaq ahead with a shot from outside the area in the fifth minute.
The league leaders responded quickly, equalizing just six minutes later when Danilo Pereira converted Karim Benzema’s low ball across the goalmouth following a corner. Benzema then put Al-Ittihad ahead in the 35th minute, capitalizing on a poor backpass to slot past goalkeeper Marek Rodak. Houssem Aouar added a crucial third goal in first-half stoppage time, finishing coolly after being set up by Moussa Diaby for the winger’s 14th assist of the season.
Ettifaq ensured a tense finish when Pereira headed into his own net seven minutes from time, but Al-Ittihad held on for the vital 3-2 win, moving them to 68 points.
Earlier on Monday, Al-Hilal’s title aspirations suffered another blow as they drew 2-2 at home against city rivals Al-Shabab. The visitors took a stunning seventh-minute lead through former Wolves winger Daniel Podence, who cut inside and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
Al-Hilal hit back just after the half-hour mark with a well-worked goal finished by Sergej Milinković-Savić, following a smart pass from Salem Al-Dawsari. Al-Dawsari then put the hosts ahead himself just a minute after the restart, finding the net with a low first-time shot after being played in by Malcom.
However, Al-Shabab responded midway through the second half when Mohammed Al-Shwirekh headed home Cristian Guanca’s corner to level the scores at 2-2. The visitors thought they had won it when Yannick Carrasco scored with 18 minutes left, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
The draw means Al-Hilal have dropped points for the third time in their last four league matches and now sit second on 62 points, six behind leaders Al-Ittihad, with their hopes of retaining the title fading fast.
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