DAMMAM: Al-Kholood will not be a popular name among Al-Ittihad fans after this season.
In March the club from Ar Rass beat the Tigers on penalties in the King Cup semifinal and on Monday held them to a draw with a disciplined defensive performance that dented Al-Ittihad’s hopes of securing an AFC Champions League Elite spot.
The result leaves the Tigers sixth, three points behind Al-Taawoun, with a game in hand. Having beaten Al-Taawoun on Wednesday to boost their chances of leapfrogging them into fifth, Al-Ittihad struggled to build on that momentum against an Al-Kholood team fighting to secure their Saudi Pro League status for next season.
Sergio Conceicao’s side again lined up in a 3-4-3 formation, with Houssem Aouar and Steven Bergwijn roaming between the lines behind Youssef En-Nesyri. But the first half was largely subdued from an attacking perspective.
Al-Kholood sat deep in a 4-4-2 shape, relying on Saudi duo Hattan Bahebri and Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa combining on the counter down the right flank. But the standout performer for Des Buckingham’s side was goalkeeper Juan Cozzani.
Moussa Diaby and Mohannad Al-Shanqeeti were introduced in the second half, adding much-needed impetus to Al-Ittihad’s attack. The hosts became more direct and created several chances but Cozzani produced a series of fine saves to preserve his clean sheet.
The Argentinian goalkeeper truly shined after the hour mark. In the 60th minute he denied Diaby in a one-on-one situation with a strong stop. Minutes later he kept out a powerful effort from Bergwijn before tipping Danilo’s long-range strike over the crossbar.
Cozzani capped his performance with a double save from an En-Nesyri header and Aouar’s close range rebound, before also denying Danilo from a corner.
Ultimately Al-Ittihad were unable to find a breakthrough, while the result took Al-Kholood eight points away from the relegation zone.
Elsewhere, seventh-placed Al-Ettifaq also saw their hopes of an AFC Champions League Elite spot suffer a setback after a 0-0 draw with bottom side Al-Najma. Goalkeeper Victor Braga produced a stellar performance for Al-Najma to secure a point at the E’Go Stadium.
Meanwhile, Al-Riyadh’s relegation struggles continued after a 4-2 defeat to Al-Fayha left them in 16th place on 23 points, three behind Damac, who occupy the last safe spot.
The Saudi Pro League action continues on Tuesday, with Al-Hilal aiming to cut the gap to leaders Al-Nassr to two points when they face Al-Khaleej in Dammam. The match represents Al-Hilal’s game in hand, having been postponed from Matchday 28 due to their participation in the AFC Champions League Elite.
