Al-Ittihad secured the Saudi Pro League championship with two matches remaining, overcoming Al-Raed 3-1 at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah.
Despite falling behind early when Oumar Gonzalez capitalised on N’Golo Kante’s error, Laurent Blanc’s team quickly regained control. Steven Bergwijn equalised in the 25th minute after a strong run by Abdulrahman Al Obud, setting the stage for Al-Ittihad’s comeback.
In the second half, Al-Ittihad maintained their dominance. Just two minutes after the break, Al Obud scored from close range following a defensive mistake by Al-Raed. Although both teams had opportunities, with Al-Raed taking five shots to Al-Ittihad’s six, Blanc’s squad never seemed likely to relinquish their lead. This victory extended their advantage over Al-Hilal to an unassailable nine points.
Earlier on Thursday, Al-Qadisiyah moved up to third place by defeating Al-Wehda 3-1 at home. Odion Ighalo initially put the visitors ahead, but Cameron Puertas scored twice to turn the game around before assisting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for a late goal. Meanwhile, Al-Shabab also recorded a 3-1 victory over Al-Riyadh, with goals from Musab Al Juwayr, Haroune Camara, and Cristian Guanca bringing them closer to the top five.
Al-Ittihad’s triumph marks their second league title in three years and their tenth overall. They previously won in 1982, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, and 2023. Although they trail behind Al-Hilal’s record of 19 titles, they have surpassed Al-Nassr’s total of nine championships. Teams from Jeddah have claimed 12 titles collectively (Al-Ittihad nine and Al-Ahli three), while Riyadh-based teams have amassed a total of 34 titles (Al-Hilal 19, Al-Nassr nine, and Al-Shabab six).
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The match saw Danilo Pereira give his team the lead just before halftime by heading in Unai Hernandez’s corner kick. This goal ensured that they entered the break with confidence. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric as fans celebrated what seemed like an inevitable victory.
Al-Ittihad needed only one win from their last three games to reclaim the title from rivals Al-Hilal. Their hopes were briefly challenged when Gonzalez scored for Al-Raed early on. However, they quickly turned things around and demonstrated why they are league leaders.