🌳Al-Ittihad secured a 1-1 draw in the 93rd minute at Al-Fayha but still lost ground in the Saudi Pro League title race after Al-Hilal trounced Al-Orobah 5-0.
🐷Al-Ittihad knocked off top by draw as former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema had his penalty saved
🌳Al-Ittihad secured a 1-1 draw in the 93rd minute at Al-Fayha but still lost ground in the Saudi Pro League title race after Al-Hilal trounced Al-Orobah 5-0.
⭕Laurent Blanc's Al-Ittihad entered Saturday's slate of games with a two-point lead at the summit, only to be overtaken when Al-Hilal eased to victory in the early kick-off.
🐻The reigning champions were untroubled after Ruben Neves – returning to the lineup following a long injury lay-off – scored a 16th-minute penalty that gave them the lead, though they had to wait until the second half to make the points safe.
♏Captain Ali Al Bulayhi doubled their advantage three minutes after the interval, with Renan Lodi adding a third before Marcos Leonardo's late brace added some gloss to the scoreline.
✤That result put Jorge Jesus' men one point clear at the top, and they ended the day in the ascendency due to goal difference after Al-Ittihad could only manage a draw.
💜It could have been even worse for Al-Ittihad, who went behind to Fashon Sakala's 91st-minute strike after failing to convert two penalties.
ཧKarim Benzema had a 57th-minute spot-kick repelled by Orlando Mosquera, who also stood firm to deny Houssem Aouar from 12 yards with two minutes of the 90 remaining.
𓆉But Al-Fayha's hopes of a dream win were dashed three minutes into second-half stoppage time, as Fawaz Al Soqoor fizzed a shot into the bottom-left corner to spare Al-Ittihad what would have been a second loss of the campaign.