Video: Al-Ittihad continue to chase Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal with a thrilling win over Al-Diriyah

The Doyen clinch a thrilling win

Al-Ittihad kept up their push in the Saudi Pro League with a vital 2-0 win over Al-Diriyah at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. The eleventh-round clash handed the Dean three fresh points to fuel their hopes of challenging for the top places.

Read also: Video: Al-Nassr continue their march towards the summit with a treble over Al-Faisaly

From the first whistle Al-Ittihad looked to impose their rhythm, pressing forward with wave after wave of attacks on the Al-Diriyah goal. Nigerian striker George Eleninkhinna finally cracked the code on the half-hour, his opener on 30 minutes confirmed by VAR to put the hosts ahead before the break.

The second half saw Al-Ittihad's bench sharpen the attack, with Youssef En-Nesyri and Dion Lopy introduced. Al-Diriyah responded by throwing on Darwin Nunez to bolster their own options. It made little difference. The Dean's defensive shape held firm, and they managed the game with composure.

Georginio Wijnaldum then ended any lingering hopes of a comeback. His penalty on 77 minutes made it 2-0 and settled the contest, with Marwan Al-Sahafi coming on in the closing stages to help see the result out.

Victory lifted Al-Ittihad to 21 points and up to fourth in the table. The pressure on the top continues, with the Dean chasing down the gap to Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal as the race rolls on.

For the fans, it was a timely lift. Al-Ittihad turned their dominance into two goals, kept a clean sheet and left the Al-Diriyah encounter with gains in both result and performance. The message was clear: they mean to keep climbing.