Al-Hilal’s loss to Al-Feiha all but ends chances of retaining Saudi Pro League

It is one of football’s great cliches that it is better to have points on the board than games in hand. If Al-Hilal did not agree before Tuesday, they probably do now.

The Saudi Pro League defending champions met Al-Feiha expecting to cut Al-Ittihad’s lead at the top to eight points but instead they ended up losing 1-0, a result that leaves the title race looking as good as over.

If that SPL race was a game, league leaders Al-Ittihad are 2-0 ahead with five minutes remaining and it is theirs to lose.

Al-Feiha’s goal came after 33 minutes. Sami Al-Khaibari got in front of defender Ali Al-Bulaihi to volley a corner into the bottom part of the net, and try as hard as the team from Riyadh did, they just could not get back in the game.

Despite over 70 percent possession, the champions did not create enough chances of real quality and were reduced too often to playing long balls into the area. When the opportunities came, they were not converted.

Al-Feiha had much to thank goalkeeper Vladamir Stojkovic for that. The Serbian made some fine saves to keep the titleholders at bay. Sticking in the memory was a flying block to keep out a Salem Al-Dawsari shot early in the game that looked destined for the top corner. Soon after the league’s top scorer Odion Ighalo had the ball in the back of the net but the goal was rightly ruled out for offside by VAR. Michael had a great chance just before the break but with just the goalkeeper to beat, shot wide from close range. The Brazilian hit the crossbar with just over 20 minutes remaining and that was as close as Al-Hilal came to getting anything from the game.

“We lost due to simple individual mistakes,” said a frustrated Al-Dawsari after it was all over. “They did not threaten our