Al Ittihad’s advantage at the top of the Roshn Saudi League has been reduced to four points following a night of significant developments in the title race on Thursday.
Defending champions Al Hilal applied pressure with a commanding 3-0 home win against Al Khaleej earlier in the evening. Captain Salem Al Dawsari found the net twice while Aleksandar Mitrovic added another goal to complete the victory.
With their lead shrinking, Al Ittihad then suffered an unexpected 2-0 defeat at Al Fateh. The table-toppers, who had lost just twice in their previous 27 league matches, fell behind in Al Ahsa when Amine Sbai scored after 10 minutes. Matias Vargas extended Al Fateh’s advantage midway through the second half.
Both teams missed opportunities from the penalty spot during the match. Mourad Batna’s attempt at Al Fateh was disallowed after he made contact with the ball twice when he slipped during his run-up. Just before halftime, on-loan Al Nassr goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aqidi denied Fabinho from the spot, preventing Al Ittihad from equalizing at a crucial moment.
Al Aqidi’s parent club, Al Nassr, now has a chance to close the gap between the leaders when they face Al Qadsiah in Dammam on Friday.
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