In a thrilling match at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Al Ittihad snatched a dramatic and valuable 2-1 victory from their guests Damac, in the 32nd round of the Saudi Professional League. The winning goal came in the dying moments of the game, giving Al Ittihad three crucial points in their fight to improve their position in the league standings.
Details and events of the exciting match
The match began with Al-Ittihad clearly dominating, imposing their rhythm from the opening minutes against a defensively-minded Damac side that relied on quick counter-attacks. Al-Ittihad's pressure paid off in the 24th minute with a powerful and precise shot from Houssem Aouar that nestled into the bottom right corner of the net, past goalkeeper Kevin Silva. After the goal, Al-Ittihad's performance dipped slightly, allowing Damac to push forward and attempt to equalize. Their best chance came when Morlaye Cissé's shot went just wide of the post.
In the second half, Damac came out with a stronger attacking intent, searching for an equalizer. Valentin Vada missed a clear opportunity, firing a cross wide of the goal. Al-Ittihad responded quickly with a powerful shot from Mario Mitai, which the goalkeeper brilliantly saved. The back-and-forth continued until substitute Yako Metteh leveled the score for Damac in the 73rd minute, capitalizing on a superb cross from Abdulrahman Al-Obaid to head it into the net. Just as the match seemed destined for a draw, in the fourth minute of stoppage time (90+4), substitute Ahmed Al-Ghamdi delivered a cross that Saleh Al-Shehri cleverly let run to his teammate Abdulaziz Al-Bishi, who unleashed a powerful shot that found the back of the net, securing a dramatic winning goal for Al-Ittihad.
The importance of winning for Al-Ittihad in the league race
This victory is of paramount importance to Al-Ittihad, the reigning league champions, who endured an inconsistent season that saw them fall out of title contention. With this win, their fifteenth of the season, Al-Ittihad raised their points tally to 52, drawing level with Al-Taawoun in fifth place and intensifying the competition for Asian Champions League qualification next season. The victory represents a significant morale boost for the team and its fans as they head into the final rounds of the season, aiming to finish in the best possible position.
The impact of the loss on Damac's position
On the other hand, this loss deepened Damac's woes, marking their sixteenth defeat of the season. The team remains stuck on 26 points in fifteenth place, a precarious position that puts them in danger of relegation. This result increases the pressure on the team in the remaining rounds, as they now need to achieve positive results to secure their place in the top division for next season.
