Houssem Aouar scored a last-minute goal to help Al Ittihad complete a comeback and secure a 3-2 win over Al Nassr, taking them a step closer to clinching the Saudi Pro League title.
With the clock ticking down, the league leaders showed the kind of fighting spirit that has defined their season to claim all three points at Al Awwal Park on Wednesday.
Sadio Mane opened the scoring for the home side after three minutes with a low shot, with barely three minutes on the clock.
The Senegal international then assisted Ayman Yahya to make it 2-0 for Al Nassr in the 37th minute. The goal stood following a VAR review, even though the ball had touched Mane’s hand in the build-up.
Al Ittihad were the better side after the interval and Karim Benzema reduced the deficit with a header in the 49th minute.
Laurent Blanc's side equalised after a counter-attack, finished off by N'Golo Kante who slotted the ball into Al Nassr's net.
Algeria international Aouar scored the winner in added time from close range following a cross by Moussa Diaby, who was shown a red card after the final whistle for his part in a post-match melee.
“Our secret is we are a team with a lot of personality," said match-winner Aouar. "We did a very, very big game, especially the second half.
“The first half was too shy. We played too shy, not as a team, not as a champion team. Then we showed that we have a lot of personality.”
With four games to go, Ittihad are six points clear of closest rivals Al Hilal, who remain second following a wild night at Al Raed in which a Salem Al Dawsari hat-trick saw them run out 5-3 winners.
A second top-flight trophy in three seasons feels closer than ever for the Jeddah club, who could clinch a domestic double when they contest the King's Cup final at the end of this month.
Former Real Madrid and France striker Benzema registered his 19th league goal of the campaign to move him joint-third in the SPL scoring charts alongside Abderrazak Hamdallah and Julian Quinones.
“Our captain, he leads us a lot,” Aouar said. “Beginning of the second half, we scored two goals - this gave us hope.
“And then, yes, like I say, we never give up from the beginning of the season. We score a lot of goals in the money-time. Today, again, so Alhamdulillah.”
For Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, now fourth with 60 points, the defeat was a setback to their hopes of reaching the AFC Champions League Elite next season, with only two teams qualifying from the league after Al Ahli won the continental title last Saturday.
Race card
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
9.50pm: Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm: Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
MATCH INFO
Aston Villa 1 (Konsa 63')
Sheffield United 0
Red card: Jon Egan (Sheffield United)
UAE squad
Ali Kashief, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdelrahman, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Mohmmed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shakir, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Adel Al Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah), Waleed Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Baniyas)
Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
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PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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