Second-Placed Al Ittihad Dispatches Off Saudi Pro League New Boys Al Qadsiah in Front of 35,654 Home Fans
At King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, 35,654 fans were treated to an exquisite performance from the home side as hosts Al Ittihad won 3-1 against Al Qadsiah late Saturday evening. The well-attended home victory keeps Al Ittihad in 2nd place while Al Qadsiah dropped two positions from sixth to eighth.
The hosts wasted no time giving the home crowd what they came to see as they went ahead in the seventh minute. Moussa Diaby took a quick free kick and fed Karim Benzema, who made no mistake in netting the opener, as he got on the scoresheet for the eighth time this season.
Al Qadsiah did not take this lying down and responded within minutes. In the 20th minute, Julian Quinones found former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who rounded the goalkeeper and equalized. A few minutes later, Aubameyang thought he’d put Al Qadsiah ahead when he found himself facing an empty net and ensured he scored. However, with an offside in the buildup, the goal was ruled out.
Benzema almost secured a brace when he battled Al Qadsiah’s goalkeeper Koen Casteels for the ball and scored. However, the goal was ruled out, and Casteels awarded a foul. In the 67th minute, Diaby and Houssem Aouar advanced into the Al Qadsiah box, trading passes and ended in Diaby finding the net to make it 2-1.
As the visitors struggled to find their defensive composure, Al Ittihad smelled the blood and went for the kill. Former Real Madrid and current Al Qadsiah captain Nacho lost the ball to substitute Mario Mitaj, who scored to end Al Qadsiah’s hopes of a comeback.
With the victory, Al Ittihad remains firmly on the trail of Al Hilal, who are three points ahead of them on the table. Al Qadsiah have now lost three times in their last five matches, and manager Michel will be feeling the pressure.
