Al-Fayhaa defeated Al-Hilal 1-0 in the Saudi Super Cup semi-finals - Thursday - to renew its superiority after defeating it in the final of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup last season.
The winner will play in the final on January 29 against Al-Ittihad, who won 3-1 over Al-Nassr, led by Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al-Hilal lost the opportunity to preserve the Super Cup title, after it achieved it last year, after beating Al-Faisaly on penalties.
Al-Ittihad defeated Al-Nasr with the goals of Romarinho and Abdel-Razzaq Hamdallah in the first half, and the goal of Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti in stoppage time.
With three, #Al-Ittihad qualifies for the Super Cup final 🏆✅
• Watch the goals of the match ⬇️ # Al-Ittihad_Al-Nasr |
#SSC pic.twitter.com/calDsv0N1G
- Saudi Sports Company SSC (@ssc_sports) January 26, 2023
Anderson Talisca ignited the atmosphere 22 minutes before the end by narrowing the difference to victory.
Romarinho opened the scoring for Al-Ittihad, in the 15th minute, after receiving a cross from Abdul Rahman Al-Aboud from the left, which he met with a shot from the middle of the penalty area, so it settled in the middle of the goal.
Ronaldo's danger appeared on several occasions in the first half, the most dangerous of which was a header in the 42nd minute, after a cross from the right, which goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe wonderfully removed, to bounce back with an attack in the opposite direction.
🧤 A historic tackle from Grohe leads Hamdallah to add the second goal ⚽️ #Al-Ittihad_Nasr |
#SSC pic.twitter.com/bq0RmC5TdD
- Saudi Sports Company SSC (@ssc_sports) January 26, 2023
Brazilian Romarinho played the ball from the right, Hamdallah met it with his head, to live in the far left of the goal.
🎶 Bo Raziqah in his field of control 🕺🏻# Al-Ittihad_Nasr# WeAreTogether pic.twitter.com/zqn37iEZ9h
- Saudi Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad) January 26, 2023
Al-Nassr narrowed the difference in the 68th minute, after Talisca hit the ball from the middle of the penalty area, into the net.
Al-Nasr had launched an attempt - via Talisca - after 3 minutes of the second half had passed, but it fell in the penalty area with a joint ball with Zakaria Hosai, but the referee did not count anything.
Talisca returned in the 52nd minute to meet a header from the right of the penalty area, which Ahmed Hegazy removed from the dangerous areas.
Ronaldo hit a free kick in the 66th minute over the crossbar.
A powerful shot from Ronaldo crosses the crossbar 🥅 # Al-Ittihad_Al-Nasr |
#CR7|
#SSC pic.twitter.com/vw7ORRqrXy
- Saudi Sports Company SSC (@ssc_sports) January 26, 2023
In the 72nd minute, a free kick appeared in favor of Al-Nasr near the Al-Ittihad penalty area, which was executed by Talisca with a one-time shot that passed far from the goal.
Al-Shanqeeti, Al-Ittihad player, hit a ball from the edge of the penalty area in the 84th minute, and the goalkeeper caught it twice.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time for the second half, Al-Shanqeeti fired a coup de grace at Al-Nasr from Al-Ittihad's counterattack.
Al Fayha overthrows the Crescent
Earlier, Al-Fayhaa advanced in the 21st minute through Paulinho, who received a wonderful pass from Victor Ruiz, to single out Muhammad Al-Mayouf's goal and successfully put the ball into the net.
Al-Hilal almost equalized quickly after Abdullah Al-Hamdan got a penalty after being blocked by Ricardo, but Vladimir Stojkovic prevented Salem Al-Dossary from scoring and pushed the ball away.
Ricardo scored a goal after turning Ruith's cross with his head into Al Hilal's goal in the 56th minute, but the goal was canceled due to offside.
Al-Hilal suffered its second loss this season in all local competitions, after losing from Al-Taawoun in the Professional League.
The loss comes before Al Hilal travels to Morocco to compete in the Club World Cup, where it will play against Wydad in the second round of the competition, in which it achieved fourth place in the last edition.