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League leaders Al-Ittihad narrowly escaped their first defeat against hosts Al-Qadisiyah, securing a 1-1 draw in the 24th round of the Saudi Pro League.<\/p>
Al-Qadisiyah came close to handing Al-Ittihad their first loss since their 2-1 defeat to Damac on January 27 when Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck in the 91st minute. However, French midfielder N\u2019Golo Kant\u00e9 stole the spotlight, equalizing just five minutes later.<\/p>
Al-Ittihad now leads the standings with 58 points, seven ahead of second-placed Al-Hilal, who face Al-Fayha today, while Al-Qadisiyah sits third with 51 points.<\/p>
The match started at a blistering pace, with several early chances. The right post denied Mexican forward Juli\u00e1n Qui\u00f1ones an early goal for Al-Qadisiyah (5\u2019). Later, Moath Faqihi made a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat and keep Al-Ittihad level (12\u2019).<\/p>
Qui\u00f1ones came close again, attempting two shots after receiving a cross from Aubameyang, but his effort sailed over Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovi\u0107\u2019s goal (39\u2019). Another Aubameyang cross found Turki Al-Ammar, whose powerful strike was blocked by Al-Ittihad\u2019s defense (44\u2019).<\/p>
In the second half, Al-Qadisiyah\u2019s Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels produced a fine save to deny Algerian midfielder Houssem Aouar (51\u2019), while the crossbar again frustrated the home team, this time stopping Al-Ammar\u2019s shot (60\u2019).<\/p>
In the first minute of stoppage time, Aubameyang finally broke the deadlock, finishing a superb cross from Paraguayan Nahitan N\u00e1ndez with a powerful strike.<\/p>
But just five minutes later, the drama continued as Kant\u00e9 emerged as Al-Ittihad\u2019s savior, leveling the score off a cross from compatriot Karim Benzema.<\/p>
Despite his crucial goal, Kant\u00e9\u2019s night had a downside\u2014he picked up a yellow card just a minute before scoring, meaning he will be suspended for Al-Ittihad\u2019s next match against Al-Riyadh on Thursday in Round 25.<\/p>
To make matters worse for Al-Ittihad, Brazilian midfielder Fabinho also received a yellow card against Al-Qadisiyah, ruling him out of the next game.<\/p>
This leaves French coach Laurent Blanc in a tough spot, as he will have to count on a new midfield duo for the upcoming match. After the game, Blanc praised Al-Qadisiyah, stating: \"We drew because Al-Qadisiyah is a great team, while we lost to another team I won\u2019t name.\"<\/p>
He admitted that his squad is struggling with a dip in form and injuries but insisted that these are not excuses for dropping points.<\/p>
Blanc also acknowledged that \"every team plays with extra determination against Al-Ittihad because we are the league leaders.\"<\/p>
Despite the draw, he commended his players, saying: \"I congratulate them because many expected Al-Qadisiyah to win, but Al-Ittihad\u2019s players refused to lose.\"<\/p>
When asked about doubts regarding Al-Ittihad\u2019s ability to maintain their lead, he responded: \"We are aware of the strength of our title rivals, which means the players must give their all and showcase their quality.\"<\/p>
In another match, Al-Kholood defeated Al-Fateh 2-1, raising their tally to 31 points in ninth place, while Al-Fateh remained stuck at 19 points in 15th place.<\/p>
Meanwhile, Al-Wehda secured a 3-1 victory over Al-Raed at home.<\/p>","continue_text":"Continue Reading","main_heading":"Blog"},"yoast_head":"\n