George Ilenikhena inspires Al-Ittihad to 2-1 victory over Al-Nassr

Al-Ittihad claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Al-Nassr in the fifth round of the Roshn Saudi League, giving league leaders Al-Hilal a significant boost in the title race.

The home side dominated the first half and established a two-goal advantage through Nigerian forward George Ilenikhena, although Al-Nassr responded before the interval and spent much of the second half pressing for an equaliser.

Al-Nassr remain second in the table on 12 points, three behind Al-Hilal, who moved to 15 points at the top. Al-Ittihad’s victory lifted them to 11 points and fourth place, making Al-Hilal the biggest beneficiaries of the result.

Al-Ittihad began with intense attacking pressure, closing down Al-Nassr across the pitch and making it difficult for the visitors to build from the back. The home team’s aggressive approach gave them a clear advantage during the opening stages.

That pressure produced an early reward after only four minutes, when Ilenikhena found the net to give Al-Ittihad a perfect start to the contest.

The forward appeared to have doubled the lead in the 15th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Al-Nassr therefore remained within one goal despite continuing to struggle against the intensity of their opponents.

Ilenikhena needed only seven more minutes to restore Al-Ittihad’s two-goal advantage. His second effort, scored in the 22nd minute, was allowed to stand and underlined his outstanding influence on the match.

Al-Nassr gradually recovered after the half-hour mark. They began to correct the problems that had affected them early on, escaped the home side’s press more effectively and made greater progress into attacking areas.

Their improvement was rewarded in the 36th minute. Angelo struck a powerful shot into the Al-Ittihad net to reduce the deficit and give Al-Nassr renewed hope before half-time.

The visitors emerged for the second half with a markedly different approach. They attacked with greater purpose and applied sustained pressure in search of an equaliser, building on the momentum they had gained late in the opening period.

Al-Ittihad were forced to retreat and defend their advantage, with their players showing considerable determination under pressure. Their defence and Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic carried much of the responsibility as Al-Nassr increased the tempo.

Cristiano Ronaldo came close to drawing Al-Nassr level in the 55th minute when he sent a powerful shot towards goal, but Rajkovic reacted superbly to make the save and preserve his side’s lead.

The goalkeeper was called into action again five minutes later. He produced another important stop to deny a forceful header from Mohamed Simakan as Al-Nassr continued to create danger.

Rajkovic remained highly focused throughout the second half, making several crucial interventions to protect Al-Ittihad’s goal. His performance ensured that the hosts held on to their narrow advantage despite Al-Nassr’s sustained attacking pressure and secured a result that strengthened Al-Hilal’s position at the summit.