Al Ittihad's Defeat Ends Unbeaten Run as Al Ahli Tops Saudi League Ahead of Al Nassr

Sérgio Conceição's Al Ittihad experienced a setback in the Saudi Professional League as they were defeated 3-1 by Al Ahli, bringing an end to their six-game unbeaten streak. Danilo Pereira started for Al Ittihad, while Fabinho scored the club's only goal from a penalty in the 51st minute.

The match saw Wenderson Galeno, reunited with Conceição at Al Ahli, play a key role by assisting the first two goals. Ivan Toney opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, followed by a goal from Mahrez in the 59th minute. Firas Al-Buraikan sealed the victory with a late goal in the 84th minute, securing a comprehensive win for Al Ahli.

In a separate fixture, Al Hilal welcomed back Karim Benzema, who returned from an adductor injury to score twice in their 4-0 victory over Al Najma. Malcom and Milinkovic-Savic added late goals to complete the dominant performance. This result helped maintain Al Hilal's position near the top of the league standings.

Following these results, Al Ahli now leads the Saudi Professional League with 62 points, narrowly ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, as well as Jorge Jesus's and João Félix's teams, Al Hilal. Al Nassr, however, have a game in hand and will face Neom this Saturday. Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to miss this upcoming match due to injury, which could influence Al Nassr's title challenge.

Other Portuguese players competing in the league faced difficulties on the same day. Jorge Fernandes started in defense for Al Fateh, who lost 2-3 to Al Taawoun. Additionally, Fábio Martins' Al Hazem were defeated 1-2 away at Al Khaleej, marking a challenging day for Portuguese footballers in Saudi Arabia.

Looking ahead, the league remains tightly contested with Al Ahli holding a slim lead. Al Nassr's ability to capitalize on their game in hand, despite Ronaldo's absence, will be crucial in the coming fixtures. Meanwhile, Al Ittihad will aim to recover from this defeat as the season progresses.