Al-Shabab stay perfect: 5 things we learned from Round 6 of Roshn Saudi League

There was plenty of action to talk about in the sixth round of the Roshn Saudi League, as leaders Al-Shabab maintained a perfect start to the season.

Below are five things we learned from this week’s matches.

Hamdallah and Ittihad are back

After the 0-0 draw last week, and a somewhat disappointing performance, the Tigers and star striker Abderrazak Hamdallah had to bounce back. They did just that as Al-Ittihad defeated Al-Fateh 3-1 to move into second.

Last week it was all about the defense in a gritty Classico stalemate and this time, once more, the Jeddah giants were happy to let the opposition have the ball, but the difference was that there were clinical counter-attacks and well-worked set pieces.

The return of Romarinho made a difference, and the Brazilian scored the opener, but it was Hamdallah’s goal that made it 2-1 with 21 minutes remaining that was really beautiful. A fine chipped pass from Igor Coronado found the thigh of Abdulrahman Al-Obud, which cushioned the ball into the path of the Moroccan marksman who made no mistake with a first-time shot.

Coronado was also impressive, assisting the first and then firing home the third from the edge of the area. When the two Brazilian attacking players are on song, then last year’s runners-up can beat anyone and will be perfectly happy to be sitting in second after six games.

Goals drying up for Al-Hilal

Al-Hilal drew 0-0 with Al-Ettifaq, a result that means that the champions now have dropped five points from the last two games. It is nothing to worry about in a season of 30 matches, but scoring just once in the last two games against Al-Wehda and Ettifaq despite a huge amount of possession and more than enough scoring opportunities will be frustrating for