“Houssem Aouar struck inside three minutes to put Al Ittihad ahead, setting an early statement of intent that Ettifaq never truly recovered from.”
Pivotal“Moussa Diaby doubled Ittihad's lead just before the 20-minute mark, putting the visitors firmly in control and effectively turning this into a two-goal deficit for Ettifaq to chase.”
Pivotal“Khalid Al-Ghannam pulled one back for Ettifaq to make it 1-2, giving the hosts a foothold in the match and a moment of genuine belief at a ground that had gone quiet.”
Pivotal“Moussa Diaby scored his second of the night to restore Ittihad's two-goal cushion at 1-3, ending whatever slim hopes Ettifaq had carried into the final quarter of the match.”
Pivotal
Al Ettifaq
Al Ittihad
Outstanding performance
Al Ittihad•AttackerAl Ittihad were ruthlessly efficient from the opening whistle, with Houssem Aouar slotting home inside three minutes to set the tone. Moussa Diaby doubled the advantage before the 20-minute mark, and while Khalid Al-Ghannam's goal gave Ettifaq brief hope just past the half-hour, the home side never genuinely threatened a comeback. Ittihad's 41 dangerous attacks to Ettifaq's 28 illustrated where the threat came from, and their nine shots on target compared to just three from the hosts tells the story of a team that was not just dominant but clinical. Diaby's second in the 79th minute — coming off the bench effect or not — was the kill shot that ended any lingering Ettifaq ambition, and Sérgio Conceição's animated touchline presence, earning a yellow card for arguing just before the break, underlined how much this derby mattered to the visitors. For Ettifaq, who had 53 percent possession and plenty of passing statistics that will count for nothing in the table, this is another damaging result as the season draws toward its close.
How entertaining was this match?
Muhannad ShanqeetiYellow CardYellow card for Muhannad Mustafa Shanqeeti.
Abdulrahman Al-Oboud takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Abdulaziz Al Bishi takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Saleh Al-Shehri replaces Houssem Aouar.
Abdulaziz Al Bishi replaces Moussa Diaby.
Moussa Dembele takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Houssem Aouar takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Abdulhakim Maghfori replaces Mukhtar Ali.
Georginio Wijnaldum's header is saved.
Ahmed Hassan Koka is on, and Madallah Alolayan is off.
Moussa DiabyMoussa Diaby takes a shot with his left foot and scores.
Georginio Wijnaldum takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Faisal Al-Ghamdi is on, and Awad Al Nashri is off.
Mukhtar Ali takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Muhannad Mustafa Shanqeeti takes a right-footed shot, but it is saved.
Abdulrahman Al-Oboud's header is saved.
Joao Costa takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Muhannad Mustafa Shanqeeti takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Houssem Aouar takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Georginio Wijnaldum attempts a header but misses the shot.
The first half ends with a score of 1-2.
Moussa DembéléVAR review results in the cancellation of the penalty for Moussa Dembele.
Moussa Dembele's left-footed shot is blocked.
Georginio Wijnaldum's right-footed shot is blocked.
The first half ends with a score of 1-2.
Moussa DembéléVAR decision confirms that there is no penalty for Moussa Dembele.
Joao Costa takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Khalid Al-GhannamKhalid Al-Ghannam takes a shot with another body part and scores.
Abdulrahman Al-Oboud replaces Steven Bergwijn.
Steven Bergwijn takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Steven Bergwijn takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Mario Mitaj's left-footed shot is saved.
Moussa DiabyMoussa Diaby takes a shot with his right foot and scores.
Francisco CalvoYellow CardYellow card shown to Francisco Calvo Quesada.
Madallah Alolayan takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Khalid Al-Ghannam takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Alvaro Medran's right-footed shot is blocked.
Joao Costa takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Moussa Diaby takes a left-footed shot, but it's saved.
Houssem AouarHoussem Aouar scores with a right-footed shot.
Steven Bergwijn takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Moussa Diaby's left-footed shot is blocked.
Al Ettifaq and Al Ittihad face off in a tasty Pro League derby at EGO STADIUM, with just three points separating the two sides. With both clubs eyeing a stronger finish to the season, this local rivalry promises intensity, passion, and plenty of talking points for neutral fans.
