JEDDAH – Al Ittihad took a firm grip on the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League title race with a commanding 4-1 victory over reigning champions Al Hilal in the highly anticipated ‘Saudi Clasico’ on Saturday night.

Laurent Blanc’s men delivered a statement performance in Jeddah, moving seven points clear at the top of the table and solidifying their bid to reclaim the league crown.

The visitors from Riyadh started strong, with Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo opening the scoring after just 10 minutes, expertly finishing João Cancelo’s cross.

However, Al Ittihad responded swiftly, with Hassan Kadesh heading in an equalizer from Moussa Diaby’s pinpoint corner just minutes later.

From there, the hosts took control. Dutch forward Steven Bergwijn gave Al Ittihad the lead just before half-time, scoring on the rebound after his initial header was parried by Al Hilal’s goalkeeper Bono.

Ten minutes into the second half, Bergwijn struck again, finishing off a well-placed pass from N’Golo Kanté for his second goal of the night and 10th of the season.

Al Hilal fought to find a way back, but their efforts were thwarted, including a disallowed goal for offside.

In the 86th minute, Karim Benzema sealed the emphatic win with a clinical finish from a Houssem Aouar assist, sending the King Abdullah Sports City crowd into jubilation.

Al Ettifaq Stuns Al Nassr as Duran Sees Red

Al Nassr suffered a shocking 3-2 home defeat to Al Ettifaq on Friday, a game marked by dramatic twists, late goals, and a red card for their record signing Jhon Duran.

A goalless first half gave way to an action-packed second period, with Ayman Yahya heading in the opener for Al Nassr just minutes after the restart.

However, Al Ettifaq hit back quickly through Georginio Wijnaldum, who rounded the goalkeeper to equalize.

Al Nassr regained the lead via a rare goal from defender Mohammed Al-Fatil, only for him to turn villain by scoring an unfortunate own goal minutes later.

With the match tied at 2-2, Wijnaldum delivered a stunning late winner in the 89th minute, curling home from the edge of the box. Duran’s night went from bad to worse when he was sent off deep into stoppage time for violent conduct, compounding Al Nassr’s misery.

Al Qadsiah Takes Advantage, Climbs to Third

With Al Nassr slipping, Al Qadsiah capitalized by securing a solid 2-0 win over Al Akhdoud, moving into third place in the league standings. Mexican striker Julián Quiñones won and converted a first-half penalty, taking his season tally to 13 goals.

Saudi international Turki Al-Ammar added a second after the break, while goalkeeper Koen Casteel secured his 12th clean sheet of the season.

Elsewhere in the League

Al Ahli edged out Damac 2-0 with goals from Ivan Toney and Galeno, while Al Taawoun fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Al Shabab.

Meanwhile, Al Kholood dealt a major blow to Al Wehda’s survival hopes with a 1-0 win, leaving the latter rooted to the bottom of the table.

As the Saudi Pro League season heats up, all eyes will be on Al Ittihad to see if they can maintain their dominant form and secure the title.

This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members