Al-Ittihad celebrated their recent Saudi Pro League title win with a thrilling 3-2 victory against Al-Shabab. This match marked their first outing since securing the championship by defeating Al-Raed 3-1, dethroning Al-Hilal with two games remaining.
Moussa Diaby was instrumental in this win, scoring twice to lead his team past sixth-placed Al-Shabab.
Diaby’s first goal came just 28 seconds into the match, a stunning shot into the far corner. He followed this up with another impressive strike in the 34th minute, lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Heorhii Bushchan. Despite Yannick Carrasco pulling one back for Al-Shabab, Steven Bergwijn restored Al-Ittihad’s lead after being set up by N’Golo Kante.
Al-Shabab posed a significant threat throughout the game, managing 21 shots and achieving an expected goals (xG) value of 2.15. In contrast, Al-Ittihad had only six attempts with an xG of 1.67. Cristian Guanca scored for Al-Shabab in the 67th minute, but it was not enough to change the outcome.
Meanwhile, Al-Qadsiah moved closer to securing third place by defeating Al-Orobah 3-1 in Dammam. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was pivotal in this victory, scoring twice in the second half after Julian Quinones opened the scoring in the 65th minute. Omar Al Somah netted a late consolation goal for Al-Orobah.
With this win, Al-Qadsiah surpassed Al-Nassr in the standings and could secure third place if they beat Al-Hilal next Monday. The result also leaves Al-Orobah facing potential relegation depending on upcoming results involving Al-Wehda and Al Fateh.
Golden Boot Race Intensifies
The race for the Golden Boot remains a key focus as Cristiano Ronaldo leads with 23 goals this season. Despite not winning any major trophies with Al-Nassr, Ronaldo’s goal tally keeps him ahead of his closest competitors. Abderrazzaq Hamed-Allah of Al-Shabab and Karim Benzema both have 21 goals but failed to score recently.
Benzema has missed two games due to injury, while Hamed-Allah was unable to breach Al-Ittihad’s defence during their encounter. As the season nears its end, Ronaldo remains in pole position for this individual accolade.
The Saudi Pro League continues to deliver excitement as teams battle for final positions and individual honours. With only a few matches left, fans eagerly await how these narratives will conclude.