JEDDAH: Al-Hilal won 2-0 at Al-Ittihad on Friday to silence the reigning champions, reaffirm their title credentials and move into third place in the Saudi Pro League behind Al-Taawoun and early leaders Al-Nassr.
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It was a night that pitted two former coaches of Milan’s great rivals against each other, with the visitors’ ex-Inter boss Simone Inzaghi crossing swords with the home side’s Sergio Conceicao, formerly of AC Milan.
It was a night of spectacle from the start at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, with every seat filled. Before kick-off, Al-Ittihad’s fans unfurled a huge tifo to greet their team. The noise was fierce, the tension palpable as for the first half-hour the two giants traded blows, each in search of an opening.
Karim Benzema came close for Al-Ittihad but the breakthrough did not come until five minutes before the interval, when Al-Hilal’s Ruben Neves swung in a curling corner from the left, the ball dipping dangerously into a packed six-yard box. Amid the chaos, it was Mahamadou Doumbia who got the final touch — an unfortunate header that flew into his own net.
