Al Ittihad bag fantastic four against Al Raed | OneFootball

Al Ittihad returned to winning ways in style on Thursday after putting four past Al Raed to keep the pressure on Roshn Saudi League leaders Al Hilal, with the gap remaining at three points by end of matchweek 15.

With Al Hilal cruising to a record victory earlier in the day, the Jeddah side wasted no time in asserting their credentials in the title race with an emphatic 4-1 win at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium.

After a slow start to the game, Al Ittihad took the lead midway through the first half as Steven Bergwijn advanced down the left and sent an inviting cross into the box and Karim Benzema duly obliged, meeting it with a first-time finish to move level with Cristiano Ronaldo on 11 goals for the season, just one behind top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The pair exchanged roles just before the break. Benzema picked up the ball in the middle of the park and fed Bergwijn who carried it forward into the edge of the area before confidently placing it in the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

Alarm bells sounded for the hosts when Al Raed pulled one back in the 58th minute. Some exquisite footwork down the right from Amir Sayoud culminated with the Algerian setting up Naif Hazazi who swept it home to half the deficit.

Laurent Blanc’s men were, however, able to see off the danger and the two-goal margin was restored thanks to an incredible Houssem Aouar through pass and Abdulrahman Al Obud’s electric pace to beat his marker to the ball and slot in the third with 20 minutes to go.

Aouar went from creator to scorer just seven minutes later. The former Olympique Lyon and AS Roma playmaker got on the end of an Al Obud cross after Benzema got a touch to it and placed it into the bottom corner to put the game to bed.

Al Raed’s defeat means they remain dangerously close to the prospect of relegation for the first time in their history, with only two points separating them from the drop zone, while Al Ittihad remain comfortable in second place 12 points ahead of their nearest chasers Al Nassr and Al Qadsiah who both play on Friday.