Al-Ittihad earned a 2-0 victory at Abou-Kayr Semad in the third match of the Premier League regular season on Wednesday. The result shifts both sides in a table where every point carries weight. Al-Ittihad move off the bottom with their first point of the campaign, while Abou-Kayr Semad's unbeaten run comes to an end.
Hossam Hassan opened the scoring in the 68th minute with a finish that caught the home side flat-footed. He picked up a yellow card shortly after, nine minutes into the second half, and that seemed to set the tone for what followed. Al-Ittihad were not playing for a draw — they went for the jugular after taking the lead.
Isaac Johnson Saviour added the second goal in stoppage time, 90 minutes plus six. By then Abou-Kayr Semad had pushed forward in search of a response, but the away side held firm. The match finished with Al-Ittihad running out of games to salvage anything from this season's early form.
The statistics tell you why the scoreline looks comfortable for the visitors. Al-Ittihad held 56 per cent possession and registered four shots on target compared to two for the hosts. Their accuracy rate stood at half, while Abou-Kayr Semad managed only 20 per cent. Seven shots apiece, but the quality of chances separated the two sides.
Al-Ittihad climb from 17th place with one point from two matches. Abou-Kayr Semad remain 11th with three points after two games. The gap between them is small, but the momentum has shifted. This was a result decided in moments, not minutes.
