Damac Al-Ittihad 1-1 Draw Ends Visitors Winning Run In Saudi Pro League

Al-Ittihad lost ground in the Saudi Pro League top-three race after a 1-1 draw with Damac. The visitors could not turn pressure into victory and stayed behind the leading pack. Fabinho’s late red card deepened the frustration as the team’s winning run stopped at five league matches.

The point leaves Al-Ittihad regretting missed chances, especially after controlling long spells at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium. Damac, meanwhile, added another strong result against a leading club and showed discipline in defence, despite facing heavy pressure in the second half.

After the interval, Al-Ittihad pushed hard for a decisive goal and pinned Damac back. Fabinho, Danilo Pereira and Steven Bergwijn all sent efforts wide as attacks built

steadily. Yahya Naji then had a late opening smothered, before Abdulrahman Al Obaid struck the crossbar with a fierce drive from the box edge.

Al-Ittihad finished with ten players when Fabinho collected a second yellow card in the 98th minute. The dismissal arrived after Damac had survived several dangerous moments in stoppage time. Despite that advantage, the hosts could not mount another clear attack before the final whistle, and both sides had to settle for a draw.

The match began with controversy as Al-Ittihad thought Al Shanqiti had scored after only three minutes. Moussa Diaby pulled the ball back, and Al Shanqiti drilled into the bottom-right corner. However, the assistant ruled Diaby had not kept the ball in play during the build-up, and the early celebration ended.

Damac then struck first in the 37th minute through Abdullah Al Qahtani. Al Qahtani exchanged a neat one-two with Riyadh Sharahili before sliding a composed finish under Predrag Rajkovic. The lead lasted only eight minutes, though. A poor defensive block from Sharahili fell to Al Shanqiti, who lashed a rising shot into the top-left corner.

Hard luck for our fans pic.twitter.com/bYlw4ewO5zAl-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) January 13, 2026

Al-Ittihad vs Damac Saudi Pro League data debrief and home form

Al-Ittihad came into this fixture after a 4-0 victory over Al-Kholood, but the attack did not reach the same level. Despite recording 17 shots, their opportunities produced only 1.03 expected goals, and just three attempts forced saves from the Damac goalkeeper.

Damac created fewer openings but looked sharper when chances arrived and finished with four shots on target. They also produced three officially classified big chances, underlining how dangerous counter-attacks were. The hosts remain without a home league win in eight games, with four draws and four defeats, which is their longest such sequence in the competition.

The draw between Al-Ittihad and Damac keeps both teams short of their immediate targets in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Ittihad missed an opportunity to close on the top three, while Damac could argue the performance merited more. The match statistics and long winless home run underline why improvement remains necessary.