JEDDAH: A late, late penalty from Abderrazak Hamdallah gave Al-Ittihad a dramatic 2-1 victory over Al-Shabab in Jeddah on Thursday that opened up a six-point lead at the top of the Roshn Saudi League table and leaves them within sight of a first title since 2009.
The story of the game was a tale of four penalties, three of them scored and one missed in the most extraordinary of fashions. Hamdallah converted a first-half spot kick to put the Tigers ahead but Cristian Guanca leveled from the spot after the break.
With just a couple of minutes of regulation time remaining, Aaron Boupendza had a chance to be the hero for Al-Shabab, only to see his penalty saved by Al-Ittihad hero Marcelo Grohe. Then, with 100 minutes on the clock, Hamdallah showed once again how a spot-kick should be taken — and the crowd at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium went crazy.
The game between the league’s first- and third-placed teams was a high-quality, thrilling and dramatic encounter. The result means Al-Ittihad are six points clear of Al-Nassr in second, with six games to play, while Al-Shabab are now nine adrift and surely out of the reckoning.
The initial breakthrough for the league leaders came after 18 minutes. From a free-kick that was rolled into the area, Boupendza brought down a turning Romarinho. The expected checks and protests followed but it all ended with a penalty and another seemingly inevitable outcome as Hamdallah coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner past the diving Kim Seung-gyu.
The goal did provoke a response from the men in white, who wasted no time in trying to get back on level terms. First there were calls for a penalty when a Grzegorz Krychowiak cross appeared to hit the arm of Madallah Al-Olayan.
Shortly after that, Hassan Al-Qahtani headed straight at the goalkeeper, and then Iago Santos fired a low shot just wide. The visitors came even closer just after the half hour but Guanca’s effort from outside the area clipped the top of the crossbar.
An exciting first half ended with Al-Shabab, who had 69 percent of the possession, peppering Al-Ittihad’s goal with shots and Hamdallah taking a blow to the head.
Soon after the restart, the Whites thought they had grabbed a deserved equalizer but the powerful header from Iago Santos was ruled out, just, for offside.
They then came close, in some style, just before the hour mark. Guanca turned inside the area and in one beautiful motion unleashed a shot that looked destined for the bottom corner of the net. But Grohe somehow managed to get a hand to it and turn the ball away.
Al-Shabab finally got the break they were looking for midway through the half when Ahmed Sharahili was adjudged to have handled a cross. After a check with the video assistant referee, a penalty was awarded. Grohe has kept out most of the shots he has faced this season but this time he went the wrong way and Guanca’s low strike ended up in the bottom corner.
It was now anyone’s game as both teams looked for the all-important winner. There were a few scrambles and then, with three minutes remaining, the referee ran to the pitch-side monitor to check a possible handball. He ruled that Ahmed Hegazi, who scored the own goal that knocked Al-Ittihad out of the King’s Cup four days previously, had blocked Guanca’s header illegally and so the third penalty of the night went the way of Al-Shabab.
Up stepped Boupendza, who was presented with an opportunity to blast a hole in the title race. He attempted a Panenka penalty and looked on in horror as Grohe stood his ground and simply plucked the ball from the air.
Early on during what would be 13 minutes of added time, Al-Ittihad were reduced to 10 men when substitute Zakaria Al-Hawsawi was sent off for spitting at an opponent.
The leaders did not sit back, however and, after 100 minutes of football, Hamdallah was bundled over in the box. The referee went to check the screen and then pointed to the spot. The Moroccan striker held his nerve and lightly dinked the ball down the middle into the goal, leaving the home side’s fans and players celebrating together as the league trophy moved almost within touching distance.
