Sérgio Conceição’s Al Ittihad secured a dramatic 2-1 victory at home against Damac on Sunday evening in the 32nd round of the Saudi Pro League, the third-to-last matchday of the season.
With Portuguese midfielder Danilo Pereira starting, Al Ittihad opened the scoring through Houssem Aouar in the 24th minute. Damac leveled the match with a goal from Yakou Meité in the 73rd minute. However, deep into stoppage time, with four of the six added minutes already played, Abdulaziz Al-Bishi struck the winner to snatch all three points.
This win lifts Al Ittihad level on 52 points with Al Taawoun in fifth place, with both teams having played one game fewer than some rivals. They each have three matches remaining in the battle for fifth, as fourth place sits a distant 19 points ahead. Damac remains on 26 points in 17th place, tied with Al Riyadh, who sit just above the relegation zone.
In Sunday’s other fixture, Al Riyadh defeated Al Fateh, coached by José Gomes, 1-0 at home. Mamadou Sylla scored the only goal in the 47th minute. Leandro Antunes and Tozé started for Al Riyadh, while Jorge Fernandes featured for the visitors. Al Fateh sits 12th with 33 points.