No Surprises on Matchday 10 as the Top Five Sides on the Saudi Pro League Table Collect Wins
Matchweek 10 saw no changes at the top end of the table as they won their respective matches. Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, Al Nassr, Al Shabab, and Al Qadsiah all won their matches this past weekend.
Al Qadsiah followed up their Eastern Derby victory against struggling Al Ettifaq with a 2-0 victory over Al Fayha. Turki Al Ammar was on the scoresheet in the 4th minute to put the hosts ahead and in the second half, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang converted a penalty to secure the three points.
After suffering two losses in a row, Al Shabab have gone on a three-match winning run, with the latest victory coming this past weekend against Al Kholood. Record-setting striker Abderrazak Hamdallah scored a brace to make it 133 Saudi Pro League goals, 11 away from the all-time record set by Omar Al Somah.
Al Ittihad, who are not letting up on Al Hilal in the race for the league title, won their sixth consecutive match. Saleh Al Shehri scored one and won a penalty that Steven Bergwijn converted to secure a 2-0 victory. Al Shehri continues to step up admirably in the absence of Karim Benzema, who is out with an injury.
Al Hilal piled more misery on Steven Gerrard and his men who have been struggling this season to the point of being booed and fans calling for Gerrard’s resignation. Aleksandar Mitrovic opened the scoring just before halftime, making it 11 goals for the season. Late in the second half, Malcolm scored to put the hosts up 2-0.
In injury time, Al Ettifaq were reduced to ten men, with Abdullah Radif getting sent off. Vitinho then converted a penalty to make it 2-1, but Mohammed Al Qahtani put the game to bed with his late goal to finish 3-1 and keep Al Hilal at the top of the table, one point ahead of Al Ittihad and six clear of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.
Al Nassr emerged the winners in a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Al Riyadh, with Sadio Mane finishing off a well-worked team move. Al Nassr are the only other unbeaten team alongside Al Hilal this season, but their four draws mean they remain in third behind Al Hilal and Al Ittihad.
The Saudi Pro League takes a break for two weeks during the FIFA international break with action set to resume on November 22nd.
