In a night full of passion and drama, the much-anticipated Jeddah Derby between Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli ended in a thrilling 1-1 draw, played in front of a roaring crowd at King Abdullah Sports City as part of the 26th round of the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Ahli took the lead in the 39th minute when Riyad Mahrez calmly converted a penalty, awarded after Hamdan Al-Shamrani fouled Saint-Maximin inside the box — giving the “Royal” side the edge by halftime.
But the second half belonged to Karim Benzema, who stepped up in the 64th minute with a well-placed equalizer, following a clever assist from Romarinho, breathing life back into Al-Ittihad’s hopes.
The derby delivered all the drama fans could ask for — intensity, high-quality football, and end-to-end action. Despite chances on both sides, the match ended with shared points and a reminder of the fierce rivalry between Jeddah’s football giants.
