Al Hilal drew 1-1 against Al Ittihad, coached by Sérgio Conceição, who had Danilo Pereira in the starting lineup, this Saturday in a match of the 23rd round of the Saudi League, losing the championship lead to rival Al Nassr. The home team played with a numerical advantage from the ninth minute but failed to convert that advantage into three points. The match started well for the team managed by Simone Inzaghi, which featured Rúben Neves in the lineup. Just five minutes in, Brazilian Malcom opened the scoring, successfully finishing a cross from Al Dawsari. The situation became even more promising for the hosts when, in the ninth minute, Hassan Kadesh was sent off, leaving Al Ittihad with ten players for nearly the entire match. Despite playing with an extra man, Al Hilal could not translate their dominance into more goals. The team controlled possession, managed offensive actions, and created several opportunities but was thwarted by the excellent performance of goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic, who made several crucial saves to keep Sérgio Conceição's team in contention. The missed chances proved costly. After the break, in the 53rd minute, Houssem Aouar equalized with a header following a cross, giving new life to the visiting team. After conceding the equalizer, Al Hilal intensified their pressure in search of victory but continued to show inefficacy in finishing. Meanwhile, Al Ittihad managed to hold the score and even sought to exploit counterattacks. This stumble at home resulted in Al Hilal losing first place, allowing Al Nassr to rise to the top. Cristiano Ronaldo, João Félix, and Jorge Jesus's team seized the opportunity and, with a 4-0 thrashing of Al Hazm, ascended to first place in the Saudi League.
Who Smiles Al Ittihad remains central to this story.
Who Smiles Al Ittihad remains central to this story.
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