Al Fateh 2 – 4 Al-Ittihad: Visitors Seal Comeback After Early Scare From Al Fateh
Al-Ittihad made it back-to-back wins in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday when they triumphed 2-3 away against Al Fateh at Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium. The loss was Al Fateh’s second consecutive one as they lost further ground in their bid to finish in the top half of the Saudi Pro League table.
Al Fateh made a fantastic start to the match, going ahead in the 6th minute via a Salem Al-Najdi strike. Their lead lasted until the 39th minute when Abderrazak Hamdallah leveled for the visitors from the spot.
The concession destabilized the home side, with some of its weaknesses exposed by Al-Ittihad, who had piled pressure before halftime. Al-Ittihad’s hard work was rewarded in the fourth minute of extra time when Jota grabbed his goal, giving the visitors the lead just before half-time.
Al-Ittihad picked off from where they left in the first half, pushing forward and looking to capitalize on any mistakes or gaps behind the Al Fateh defense. The pressure told in the 64th minute when Ahmed Al-Ghamdi swept home to give Al-Ittihad a to-goal cushion.
The two-goal margin did not last long. In the 66th minute, Saad Fahad Al Sharfa scored Al Fateh’s second of the match. The goal, which came against the run of play, gave the home side some cheer as they sought the equalizer. Soon after, Abderrazak Hamdallah restored Al-Ittihad’s two-goal lead right before Madallah Alolayan was sent off the visitors.
The eventful match highlighted Al-Ittihad’s upturn in form in the Saudi Pro League. They were dangerous throughout the match and showed a cutting edge in their attacking phase that will serve them well.
Al Fateh were left to rue missed opportunities and another loss in what is shaping up to be an inconsistent season for them. They will look to move on from this result immediately in their next match in the SPL.
