Al Ittihad Triumph in Sea Derby Contest Against Al Ahli Despite Missing Karim Benzema Due to Injury
Al Ittihad continued their impressive start to the season to keep pressure on league leaders Al Hilal with a narrow 1-0 win over Al Ahli in the Sea Derby. The hosts were missing their captain and top scorer, Karim Benzema, but they showed their title credentials by eking out a challenging win.
Last season, Al Ittihad lost both at home and way to Al Ahli, but manager Laurent Blanc was keen to change their fortunes this season. With a packed stadium of over 52,000 fans, the hosts were inspired to deliver a positive result for their fans. The first half started with promise when, in the 11th minute, Al Ahli’s Franck Kessie saw his shot saved. The hosts responded within a minute when Steven Bergwijn latched onto a N’Golo Kante pass, only to place it in the top center for an easy save. Most of the first half was punctuated by efforts on goal being saved or off target.
As the two teams were focused on getting to the first half break, in-form new signing Moussa Diaby of Al Ittihad had other ideas. The former Aston Villa man carried the ball and, with some exceptional footwork, laid it at the feet of Saleh Al Shehri, whose right-footed shot put the hosts up 1-0 heading into the break. With this assist, Moussa Diaby is leading the assist charts with ten assists, twice the amount of second-ranked Sadio Mane. It was also Al Shehri’s seventh league goal against Al Ahli.
In the second half, Ivan Toney saw his shot cleared off the goalline by Abdulelah Al Amri, and then just minutes later, Franck Kessie thought he’d equalized for Al Ahli, but the VAR deemed him to be offside and ruled out the goal. The visitors continued their push for an equalizer, but it was not their day, and the match ended 1-0.
The victory means Al Ittihad are now level on points with Al Hilal, with the defending champions having a game in hand. With Al Hilal facing Al Nassr on Friday evening, Al Ittihad will be crossing their fingers for an Al Nassr victory to open up the title race.
