Ittihad claim first Saudi Pro League win of season despite playing with 10 men

Ittihad secured their first Saudi Pro League victory of the season by beating Al Qadsiah 1-0, despite playing the entire second half with 10 men.

The match, played at Al Qadsiah’s Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, was settled by a late first-half goal from Nigerian forward John Elenyikhina.

Elenyikhina struck with his left foot to give Ittihad the lead before the interval, and that goal ultimately proved enough to decide a closely contested meeting between the two sides.

Ittihad’s task became more difficult shortly after half-time when Senegalese midfielder Dion Lopy was sent off in the 47th minute. The visitors were therefore forced to defend their advantage with 10 players for the remainder of the match.

The result represents Ittihad’s first victory against Al Qadsiah since October 2024. Before this game, Ittihad had drawn once and lost twice in their previous three meetings with Al Qadsiah.

It was also Ittihad’s first league win of the current campaign. The club now have four points after two rounds of fixtures, leaving them behind defending champions Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Neom, all of whom have won both of their opening matches and sit on six points.

For Al Qadsiah, the defeat was their second under manager Brendan Rodgers. Their only previous loss during Rodgers’ tenure came against Al Ettifaq last season, with the coach having overseen 28 matches before this latest setback.

Ittihad will look to build on the result when they return home in the next round to face Al Hazem. The victory gives them an important boost after their opening fixtures, although they had to withstand sustained pressure after Lopy’s dismissal to preserve their narrow lead.

Al Qadsiah, meanwhile, will travel to face Neom as they attempt to recover from their second defeat of the season under Rodgers. Their six-point gap to the teams at the top of the table reflects the contrasting starts made by the four clubs currently holding perfect records.

The match in Dammam ultimately hinged on two key moments: Elenyikhina’s left-footed finish at the end of the first half and Lopy’s red card two minutes after the restart. Despite losing a player, Ittihad held on to claim all three points and end their wait for a win over Al Qadsiah.