Al‑Ahli Saudi FC secured a crucial 3–1 victory over city rivals Al‑Ittihad in the Jeddah derby on Friday night, temporarily moving to the top of the Saudi Pro League standings.
The match, played at Al‑Inma Stadium, was part of Round 25 of the competition.
The hosts opened the scoring in the 23rd minute through English striker Ivan Toney, who finished from close range after a quick attacking move.
Al-Ahli maintained the pressure for the remainder of the first half, while Al-Ittihad nearly equalized just before the break when a shot from Houssem Aouar struck the post.
Al-Ittihad found their equalizer shortly after the restart when Brazilian midfielder Fabinho converted a penalty in the 51st minute.
However, Al-Ahli responded strongly, and Algerian star Riyad Mahrez restored the lead in the 59th minute with a powerful finish.
The victory was sealed late in the match when Saudi forward Firas Al‑Buraikan capitalized on a defensive mistake, stealing the ball from goalkeeper Predrag Rajković before slotting it into an empty net in the 84th minute.
With the win, Al-Ahli raised their tally to 62 points to take the top spot temporarily in the league standings, while Al-Ittihad remained on 42 points, dropping to sixth place.
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