Yassine Bounou frustrated with Al Hilal draw against Al Ittihad in Saudi Clasico

Yassine Bounou did not hide his disappointment after Al Hilal SFC were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Al Ittihad Club in the Saudi Clasico on Saturday evening.

The encounter, staged at the Kingdom Arena, formed part of the 22nd round of the Saudi Pro League campaign.

The Moroccan goalkeeper admitted the result felt like a missed opportunity, particularly because the visitors were reduced to ten men as early as the fifth minute.

Speaking to Thamaniyah after the final whistle, Bounou said, “It’s a bad result for us, especially since Al-Ittihad played with ten players from the 5th minute.”

Despite acknowledging the team’s effort, the former Sevilla FC shot stopper pointed to decisive moments that ultimately denied his side maximum points.

“The team made an effort, but there were small details that prevented us from achieving victory… and the feeling is bad, of course,” he added.

Bounou also stressed the need for sharper concentration as the season progresses.

“We must continue working game by game, and maintain the highest levels of focus for the remainder of the season, as the lack of focus today may have led to things not going well.”

The stalemate saw Al Hilal slip to second place on the league table with 54 points. Al Nassr FC now lead the standings on 55 points, while Al Ahli Saudi FC sit close behind in third with 53 points, tightening the race at the top of the table.