Al-Ahli Top Roshn Saudi League After 3-1 Win Over Al-Ittihad

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Al-Ahli moved top of the Saudi Pro League after a 3-1 home win over Al-Ittihad at Alinma Bank Stadium in King Abdullah Sport City, climbing one point above Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal and tightening the title race before Al-Nassr’s meeting with Neom on Saturday.

The hosts struck through Ivan Toney, while Riyad Mahrez and Feras Al Brikan delivered after half-time, with Fabinho scoring Al-Ittihad’s only goal from the penalty spot, as Matthias Jaissle’s side showed greater control across the 90 minutes and converted pressure into a vital league victory.

Expected goals data underlined Al-Ahli’s superiority in this Saudi Pro League clash with Al-Ittihad, as the home side generated 2.06 xG from 12 attempts compared with Al-Ittihad’s 1.05 from seven shots, reflecting more sustained attacking threat and sharper decision-making in the final third.

Al-Ittihad’s away struggles in the Saudi Pro League continued, with this defeat stretching the run to seven league matches on the road without a win, with four draws and three losses, their longest such sequence since an eight-match run between February and November 2018.

The first half opened evenly, with Moussa Diaby testing Al-Ittihad at one end and Galeno troubling the visitors at the other, before Houssem Aouar appealed for a penalty in the 23rd minute after a challenge in the Al-Ahli box, but the referee dismissed the claims.

Al-Ahli broke the deadlock soon after that incident, countering down the left when Galeno surged clear and squared across goal, leaving Ivan Toney free to finish into an open net after Al-Ittihad’s defence was left exposed by the speed and timing of the transition.

Galeno’s influence grew throughout this Saudi Pro League meeting with Al-Ittihad, as the winger supplied two assists, created a match-best three chances, completed a joint-high 11 passes in the final third, and recorded the most touches in the opposition penalty area, underpinning Al-Ahli’s attacking structure beyond the headline scorers.

Al-Ahli increased the tempo after the interval following a quieter spell before the break, yet Al-Ittihad drew level when Zakaria Hawsawi fouled Steven Bergwijn inside the area and Fabinho converted the resulting penalty, sending the ball past Edouard Mendy to restore parity against the run of play.

Parity lasted only eight minutes, as Riyad Mahrez cut inside and guided a precise shot into the bottom-left corner to restore Al-Ahli’s advantage, before Feras Al Brikan pressed Predrag Rajkovic near the edge of the box, stole possession, and finished calmly to seal the 3-1 scoreline late on.

This result leaves Al-Ahli leading the Saudi Pro League standings ahead of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, with performance data and individual displays from Mahrez, Galeno and Al Brikan suggesting Jaissle’s team hold growing momentum, while Al-Ittihad face continued questions over away form and attacking consistency.