Matchday 15 of the Saudi Pro League unfolded on Tuesday with three encounters staged in Abha, Najran, and Al-Ahsa. The headline fixture saw reigning champions Al-Ittihad forced to settle for a draw against Damac, while victories for Al-Okhdood and Al-Fateh completed the evening’s action.
Matchday 15 of the Saudi Pro League unfolded on Tuesday with three encounters staged in Abha, Najran, and Al-Ahsa. The headline fixture saw reigning champions Al-Ittihad forced to settle for a draw against Damac, while victories for Al-Okhdood and Al-Fateh completed the evening’s action.
The meeting at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Stadium ended level, a frustrating outcome for Al-Ittihad. Since losing to neighbours Al-Ahli on November 8, the Jeddah side had been flawless in league play. They were greeted in Abha by a lively atmosphere, with home supporters in red outnumbered but not silenced by Al-Ittihad’s travelling fans in black and yellow.
The visitors looked sharp early on, using Moussa Diaby’s pace on the right flank and Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti’s forward runs to stretch the defence. That approach appeared to bring rewards inside three minutes when Al-Shanqeeti struck after a loose clearance, but the effort was chalked off as Diaby had allowed the ball to run out of play in the build-up.
As the first half progressed, Damac settled into a compact 5-4-1 formation that restricted Al-Ittihad’s rhythm. Long passes from deep were used to probe the space behind, yet the home back line repeatedly snuffed out danger before a decisive touch could be applied.
Despite Al-Ittihad’s territorial advantage, Damac broke the deadlock in the 37th minute. Following an accidental interruption involving the referee, play resumed with Riyadh Sharahili slipping a through ball between the centre-backs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani raced onto it and finished calmly past the goalkeeper.
The lead lasted only eight minutes. Al-Shanqeeti again burst into the area, this time picked out by Diaby. Sharahili attempted to clear but sent the ball straight back to the advancing full-back, who made no mistake to restore parity before the interval.
Sergio Conceição’s side returned for the second half knowing an early breakthrough would be vital. Instead, Karim Benzema was withdrawn at the break and replaced by Saleh Al-Shehri, with later footage indicating the French forward had suffered an injury.
Al-Shehri altered the attacking focus, as Al-Ittihad increasingly targeted the penalty area with deliveries from Ahmad Al-Julaydan. Damac centre-backs Abdulrahman Al-Khaibary and Hassan Rubayyi stood firm, clearing their lines and maintaining shape under pressure.
The hosts nearly stole the points deep into stoppage time. A swift counterattack produced a three-on-two advantage that narrowed into a clear chance, but Abdulrahman Al-Obaid’s shot struck the post. Matters worsened for Al-Ittihad when Fabinho received a red card for a dangerous challenge on Yahya Naji, sealing a draw that extended their winless away run at Damac to seven matches.
Away from Abha, Al-Fateh maintained their impressive momentum with a 3-1 success over Al-Riyadh in Al-Ahsa. Once hovering just above the relegation places, they have now collected five consecutive wins and climbed to 10th position, opening a 12-point cushion from the bottom.
In Najran, Al-Okhdood claimed a narrow 1-0 triumph against Al-Kholood. The defeat deepened Al-Kholood’s struggles, marking their eighth loss in nine outings and extending a difficult spell in the league.
