JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad defeated Al-Ahli 1-0 on Thursday in a tightly-contested Jeddah derby. The result means the victors are level on points with Al-Hilal at the top of the Saudi Pro League, while the losers are left languishing in mid-table.
Saleh Al-Shehri reminded returning Saudi coach Herve Renard of his attacking instincts by grabbing the only goal of the game before the break.
Al-Ahli came back into it in the second half but could not get back on level terms.
Coach Matthias Jaissle will be hoping that the efforts of his side will be enough to keep him in his job as the Greens continue to struggle.
In a league that produces some of the best fan tifos around, there was another special one as the teams took to the King Abdullah Sports City pitch. Al-Ittihad came up with a colorful clenched fist, and the home fans were entitled to be confident as their team were boasting 10 wins from the last 11 games.
Even without their star striker Karim Benzema, who had picked up a hamstring injury, the Tigers made most of the early running.
There were some nerves for Al-Ahli early on when Houssem Aouar went down in the penalty area but, despite a VAR check, the game continued.
Soon after, Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi, deputizing for the injured Edouard Mendy, had to get down well to prevent more danger from the left.
This was a fast-paced, frenetic affair, as derbies often are, but there was little quality in the final balls. Then, four minutes before the break, Al-Ittihad broke the deadlock with a simple but effectively worked goal.
Al-Ahli had just had a penalty review refused when a long ball from goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic found Moussa Diaby free on the right. The French winger waited inside the area, twisting and turning, before getting to the byline and pulling it back to Al-Shehri, who had drifted intelligently into space on the edge of the six-yard box. The Saudi Arabian international striker side-footed home to give his side a deserved lead.
One almost became two within minutes. Al-Shehri’s backheel inside the area gave Muhannad Al-Shanqiti a chance to pick his spot but his low shot was deflected onto the post. From the resultant corner, Al-Ittihad again hit the woodwork as Abdulelah Al-Amri headed powerfully against the underside of the bar.
The second half was a big one for Al-Ahli and it started with Saad Yaslam forcing a good save from Rajkovic.
Al-Ahli then fashioned their best chance. Ivan Toney latched on to a ball from deep, went past Rajkovic on the edge of the area and the England striker’s low shot looked destined for goal until Al-Amri sprinted back and somehow slid at the near post to put the ball behind with a heroic block.
He was powerless, though, to seemingly prevent a goal after 59 minutes. A free-kick from deep led to some ping-pong inside the area and the ball eventually fell to Franck Kessie who steered home from just outside the six-yard box. However, and following a lengthy video review, it was ruled out following the tightest of offside decisions.
Al-Ahli kept coming and Kessie shot from outside the area, the attempt looking bound for the bottom corner before Rajkovic got down well to save.
Al-Ittihad were hanging on, although Diaby hit the post in the 101st minute when through on goal after sprinting from inside his own half.
It had been a spirited second-half performance from Al-Ahli but they are stuck in mid-table while Al-Ittihad are still challenging at the top.
Attention now turns to the Riyadh derby to see what Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr — who are first and third respectively — produce.
