Al-Ittihad took a big step toward the Saudi Pro League title on Monday, beating Ettifaq 3-2 to move six points clear at the top of the table ahead of Al-Hilal, who earlier drew 2-2 with Al-Shabab.
With just five games remaining, the Jeddah side are very much back in the driving seat after a 2-0 loss to Al-Fateh on Thursday, though they had to come from behind after Vitinho put the visitors ahead in the fifth minute, firing home from outside the area.
The home fans did not have long to wait before their team were back on level terms, however. Just six minutes later, Karim Benzema got on the end of a corner at the far post and sent a low ball across the face of goal for Danilo Pereira to convert.
Benzema himself put the leaders ahead after 35 minutes, as the French forward pounced on a sloppy backpass and slotted the ball past Marek Rodak.
In time added on at the end of the first half the advantage increased to 3-1, as Moussa Diaby delivered his 14th assist of the season when he fed the ball to Houssem Aouar in the area, who rolled his shot into the net.
There were signs of nerves seven minutes from time when the visitors pulled one back, Pereira heading a cross into his own net. However, Al-Ittihad managed to hold on and see out the game.
Earlier, Al-Hilal, who had moved within four points of the leaders last week, dropped points for the third time in four league games when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Al-Shabab.
In an exciting Riyadh derby, the home fans were stunned in the seventh minute when the visitors took the lead in spectacular fashion through Daniel Podence. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man advanced toward the area, cut inside and then, still outside the box, unleashed a perfect shot into the top corner of the net.
Al-Hilal equalized just after the half-hour mark with a well-worked goal. Renan Lodi found Salem Al-Dawsari on the left side of the area, who slipped through a smart pass for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to fire high into the net.
The 19-time champions took the lead just a minute after the restart when Malcom fed a pass through to Al-Dawsari on the left side of the area, and the Saudi international found his spot with a first-time low shot.
Midway through the second half, however, Al-Shabab were level again. Mohammed Al-Shwirekh climbed high on the edge of the six-yard box to head home a Cristian Guanca corner.
With 18 minutes to go, things almost got even worse for Al-Hilal, but their fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief when Yannick Carrasco’s goal, side-footed into the net from inside the box, was ruled out for offside.
And that was how things remained at the final whistle, as Al-Hilal’s title aspirations took what might prove to be a significant knock from another stumble, with the time available to make amends rapidly running out.
