Al Wehda vs Al Ittihad
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00:00Hello everyone and welcome along to the King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Mecca where Al
00:10Itihad have the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League table over second
00:15place to Al Hilal who were held to a one-all draw at home by Al Riyadh yesterday. A scoreline Al
00:21Itihad almost had to settle for themselves on the road against Al Taun only last week with the
00:27home side Al Ueda and perhaps not surprisingly coach Daniel CarreƱo has gone with a more
00:32conservative approach to his team selection today adding Jawad El-Yamik as an extra defender with
00:38five across the back. Well the big team news for Al Itihad it's one of two changes for this one with
00:44Abdallahallah Al-Amri also playing in preference to Saad Al-Moussa at the back. Al-Moussa and
00:49Abdulrahman Al-Aboud both dropped to the bench. Karim Benzema is their top scorer 16 for him this
00:55season. It's quite an attacking quartet with Diaby on one side, Steven Bergwijn the other and Husem
01:01Awar in the middle just behind Benzema.
01:06And away we go in Mecca at the King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium, a stadium that holds 38,000
01:14and a tough match for the hosts. They haven't won any of their last three games at home.
01:18Alexandru Kretsu with distance on the header, there could be a chance here. Good save by
01:29Raikovic, Goodwin's there and Raikovic for the second time. Yusuf Amin and Craig Goodwin
01:35testing Al Itihad's goalkeeper. A really good save by Raikovic, called upon a mistake at the back.
01:42Masters of their own downfall, Al Itihad, they're going to have to be careful mistakes like that.
01:45Roughly three quarters of the play, Al Itihad, still searching for the breakthrough in the
01:52match and they've got it now. And the flag goes up and it won't count and Mohanad Shankiti
01:59is left disappointed.
02:02This comes from the wide areas, Benzema is going to be very tight, I don't think he's offside.
02:06I'm not sure he is. That might be a goal you know.
02:08Goalkeeper who's had nothing to do, he gets his angles wrong, gets beat at the near post.
02:13Raikovic at the other end showed him how to do that at the near post, stand up, be big and block it.
02:17But Al Shankiti, I think he's given the visitors the lead. I think he times his run to perfection,
02:22he's absolutely smashed it past the goalkeeper at pace.
02:25From what we've seen, looks a goal.
02:28It's a goal.
02:35Mohanad Shankiti gives Al Itihad, the league leaders, the lead.
02:43Decent distance on that one, the header away from Fabinho, it's an equalising goal.
02:48Wow, it was stunning.
02:50The shot from Jawad El Yameek.
02:54And Raikovic found it too hot to handle.
02:58It's 1-1, stunning.
03:00Wow, we certainly didn't expect that.
03:03What a strike by El Yameek.
03:05But poor goalkeeping by Raikovic, he's had nothing to do.
03:07A long hopeful throw into the middle.
03:09There's nobody there in a red shirt.
03:11Fabinho heads it out.
03:12It's a simple defensive header and it's a long way from goal.
03:15El Yameek hits it on the volley.
03:17He gets some real power behind it, but that shouldn't beat Raikovic from there.
03:21Raikovic gets his hands down.
03:22He makes a real mess of it, the goalkeeper.
03:27Shankiti, and here comes Moussa Diaby.
03:29This could be a good chance to set up Benthamar,
03:32who beats the goalkeeper.
03:36Owey Shear, who got down low to his left,
03:40but was beaten by the pace of the shot and couldn't keep it out.
03:43Benthamar, who else?
03:44Al-Wedda one, Al-Itehad two,
03:48and the team in the relegation zone
03:51weren't level for long.
03:55It's a long direct ball.
03:58Good vision by the Arby, knowing where Benthamar is.
04:02Typical Benthamar finish.
04:03A little bit of a flare-up there on the touchline
04:09between Daniel CarreƱo and Laurent Blanc.
04:17It's all got rather heated down there just before half-time.
04:20Not quite sure what sparked that off.
04:22The referee got fed up of waiting there.
04:26It's a red card, two red cards.
04:28I think it's two people from the benches have been sent off.
04:32It's the head coach, CarreƱo, I think, who has received a red card.
04:37Here's Awar now for Al-Itehad in towards Diaby.
04:46Diaby there ahead of Al-Salem, who makes a challenge.
04:50Steven Bergwijn makes it three.
04:53Following up on the good work of Moussa Diaby.
04:56And surely that will settle the points.
05:01Al-Itehad, with half an hour to go,
05:04currently set fair to go four points clear
05:07at the top of the table
05:09ahead of next week's match
05:11between the top two.
05:13And Benzema, who keeps just dropping a bit deeper
05:15to collect the ball.
05:17And it's a brilliant pass into Steven Bergwijn.
05:19Bergwijn into Awar, who puts it wide.
05:23Well, that had number four written all over.
05:26But Bergwijn looking along the line.
05:27Benzema, as you say, dropping into that deeper position.
05:30That's Al-Itehad in absolute full flow
05:33just without the finishing touches.
05:34Steven Bergwijn doesn't look up.
05:36He knows where Awar is in the middle.
05:38Opens his foot up to put it in that far corner.
05:40Just opens it up too much.
05:43Awar, Benzema.
05:44They're looking to put a bit of icing on this performance.
05:46And to Samawa!
05:48With number four.
05:53That's 11 goals they've put past Al-Wedda
05:55in two matches this season.
05:58Lovely goal.
05:59Really nice interchange between him and Karen Benzema.
06:03Put some gloss on the scoreline.
06:05Scoreline now that probably reflects the dominance
06:07and the performance.
06:11And right on cue,
06:13they do hear it from the Argentinian referee.
06:15And Al-Itehad open up a four-point advantage
06:21at the top of the table
06:23a week out from the big clash
06:26with their rivals, Al-Hilal.
06:29Laurent Blanc's team,
06:314-1 winners on the road in Mecca.
06:34But Al-Itehad, top of the table,
06:36four points clear.
06:37Al-Wedda won.
06:38Al-Itehad, four.
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