Al-Ittihad Survives Losing to Al-Qadisiyah in Five Crazy Minutes
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.
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’Golo Kanté stole the spotlight, equalizing just five minutes later.
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.
The match started at a blistering pace, with several early chances. The right post denied Mexican forward Julián Quiñones an early goal for Al-Qadisiyah (5’). Later, Moath Faqihi made a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat and keep Al-Ittihad level (12’).
Quiñones came close again, attempting two shots after receiving a cross from Aubameyang, but his effort sailed over Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajković’s goal (39’). Another Aubameyang cross found Turki Al-Ammar, whose powerful strike was blocked by Al-Ittihad’s defense (44’).
In the second half, Al-Qadisiyah’s Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels produced a fine save to deny Algerian midfielder Houssem Aouar (51’), while the crossbar again frustrated the home team, this time stopping Al-Ammar’s shot (60’).
In the first minute of stoppage time, Aubameyang finally broke the deadlock, finishing a superb cross from Paraguayan Nahitan Nández with a powerful strike.
But just five minutes later, the drama continued as Kanté emerged as Al-Ittihad’s savior, leveling the score off a cross from compatriot Karim Benzema.
Despite his crucial goal, Kanté’s night had a downside—he picked up a yellow card just a minute before scoring, meaning he will be suspended for Al-Ittihad’s next match against Al-Riyadh on Thursday in Round 25.
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.
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’t name.”
He admitted that his squad is struggling with a dip in form and injuries but insisted that these are not excuses for dropping points.
Blanc also acknowledged that “every team plays with extra determination against Al-Ittihad because we are the league leaders.”
Despite the draw, he commended his players, saying: “I congratulate them because many expected Al-Qadisiyah to win, but Al-Ittihad’s players refused to lose.”
When asked about doubts regarding Al-Ittihad’s 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.”
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.
Meanwhile, Al-Wehda secured a 3-1 victory over Al-Raed at home.
