Al-Ittihad defeats Al-Khaleej with a goal from Pereira in the Saudi Professional League
The first football team of Al-Ittihad Club succeeded in achieving a valuable and well-deserved victory over its guest, Al-Khaleej team, with a clean goal, in the strong match that brought them together this evening on the grounds of Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, as part of the competitions of the twenty-fourth round of the Saudi Professional League for the current season.
Match details and the decisive goal
From the outset, Al-Ittihad dominated possession, imposing their style of play on Al-Khaleej, who maintained a well-organized defensive formation. Al-Khaleej's coach opted for a tight backline and relied on swift counter-attacks. They nearly caught the home side off guard with an early goal on one such counter-attack, but the offside flag was raised, disallowing the goal and keeping the score unchanged.
Relief came for Al-Ittihad at the start of the second half, specifically in the 52nd minute, when star player Danilo Pereira capitalized on a corner kick expertly taken by his teammate, Mohamedou Doumbia. Pereira deftly volleyed the ball into the back of the net, scoring the only goal of the match. The visitors tried to equalize in the remaining minutes, but the brilliance and alertness of Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic prevented Al-Ittihad from conceding, and the match ended with a crucial victory for Al-Ittihad.
The importance of winning and the two teams' positions in the standings
This victory is of paramount importance to Al-Ittihad at this crucial juncture in the season, as the defending champions strive to improve their league position and secure a spot in next season's continental competitions. With this result, Al-Ittihad increased their points tally to 42, solidifying their fifth-place standing and achieving their twelfth win of the season, providing a significant morale boost for the players and coaching staff as they look to continue their winning streak in the upcoming rounds.
On the other hand, this loss further complicated Al-Khaleej's situation, leaving them stuck on 27 points in eleventh place. This is their eleventh defeat of the season, putting additional pressure on the team to improve their results in upcoming matches to secure their position in the safe zone and avoid relegation, especially with the competition intensifying in the second half of the table.
