Aleksandar Mitrovic scored his 11th league goal of the season, lifting Al-Hilal back to the top of the Saudi Pro League standings on Friday.
Al-Hilal 3-1 Al-Ettifaq: Champions Return to the Top with Dominant Win
Al-Hilal surged back to the top of the Saudi Pro League standings with a commanding 3-1 victory over 10-man Al-Ettifaq on Friday. The defending champions now sit one point clear of Al-Ittihad, piling further pressure on Al-Ettifaq manager Steven Gerrard following another disappointing result.
The match at the Kingdom Arena started slowly for Al-Hilal, who registered their first shot on goal in the 38th minute when Marcos Leonardo tested goalkeeper Marek Rodak. However, the hosts took the lead just before halftime, in the second minute of stoppage time. Aleksandar Mitrovic was in the right place to meet Renan Lodi's cross and fire the ball into the net from close range.
In the 81st minute, Al-Hilal doubled their advantage. Malcolm collected a pass from Abdullah Al Hamddan, rounded Rodak, and slotted the ball into an empty net.
Al-Ettifaq's hopes of a late comeback were briefly revived in second-half stoppage time when Joao Cancelo was penalized for a handball in the box. Vitinho stepped up to convert the penalty, giving the visitors a glimmer of hope.
However, Al-Hilal sealed the win just two minutes later, with Mohammed Al Qahtani adding a third goal, and Al-Ettifaq's Abdullah Radif was shown a red card for violent conduct in the final moments.
Data Debrief: A Dominant Friday for Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal continued their quest for a 20th Saudi Pro League title with a dominant performance that also extended their unbeaten run against Al-Ettifaq to 13 matches (12 wins and 1 draw). This result marked a new record for the longest unbeaten streak between the two clubs, surpassing their previous best of 12 matches from 2008 to 2013.
The defending champions have now lost just three times when hosting games on a Friday in the Pro League, with 46 wins and 6 draws from 55 Friday matches.
Renan Lodi continued his impressive form, contributing to eight goals across all competitions this season (3 goals, 5 assists). Lodi's best tally for goal involvements in a single European season was nine, achieved during the 2021-22 campaign with Atletico Madrid.
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