Al-Ittihad team regained their winning form after defeating Al-Riyadh 2-1 in the match held on Friday evening at the "Al-Inma" Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City, as part of the ninth round of the Saudi Professional League.

Frenchman Karim Benzema scored the first goal for Al-Ittihad in the 24th minute after a remarkable move inside the penalty area. The lead was then extended with a second goal, an own goal, in the 42nd minute, ending the first half with the home team leading 2-0.

Al-Ittihad suffered a severe blow in the second half when the French player Moussa Diaby received a direct red card in the 73rd minute, forcing the team to continue the match with ten players amid increasing pressure from the visitors.

Mamado Sila, the Riyadh player, quickly narrowed the gap by scoring his team's first goal in the 77th minute, igniting the final minutes with serious attempts from Riyadh to equalize, but they were unsuccessful.

Al-Ittihad tried to maintain their lead despite being a man down, relying on closing spaces and organizing their defense, while Al-Riyadh continued to launch repeated attacks in search of a valuable point before the final whistle.

At the end of the match, Al-Ittihad raised their total to 13 points, placing them eighth in the Roshn League standings, while Al-Riyadh's total remained at 8 points, keeping them in thirteenth place at the end of the round.