Ittifaq climbed into the second spot in the Zain Saudi Premier League Thursday while Al-Hilal sits third after 3-0 wins over Al-Ittifaq and Najran, respectively. Al-Ittifaq blanked its host Al-Qadisiyah at Prince Saud Bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium in Al-Khobar city. Striker Yousof Al-Salem put Ittifaq in the lead in the third minute before his Argentinean teammate Sebastian Tegali doubled the lead two minutes after the break. Al-Salem scored his second goal of the game 10 minutes later succeeding in sealing the win for the visitors. Ittifaq is now second on the standings with 25 points, while Qadisiyah remains ninth on 12 points. At Al-Okhdoud Club Stadium in Najran city, last season's champion Al-Hilal also routed its host Najran 3-0. Romanian midfielder Meriel Radoi put the visitors in the lead after 26 minutes. His teammate midfielder Ahmed Al-Furaidy increased the Blues' lead in the 77th minute. Striker Abdul Aziz Al-Dousari put the result beyond any doubt with the third for Hilal three minutes into injury time. The victory lifted Hilal into the third spot on 24 points. The team still has three matches in hand. Najran, meanwhile, remains 11th on 12 points. In other matches Al-Shabab beat Al-Faisali 4-1; Al-Ra'id defeated Al-Ahli 2-1; and Al-Hazm beat guest Al-Fateh 2-1. A Nassir Al-Shamrani hat trick helped Al-Shabab thrash Al-Faisali at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh. Striker Al-Shamrani put Shabab in the lead in the 37th minute, before doubling the lead six minutes after the break from the spot. The striker then hit his third to put Shabab up 3-0 in the 72nd minute. Al-Faisali midfielder Abdurrahman Anas reduced the margin with a goal seven minutes later, but Shabab striker Abdul Aziz Al-Yousuf restored the lead with a late goal. With one point behind Al-Faisali, Shabab sits sixth on 18 points with three matches in hand. Al-Ra'id beat its host Al-Ahli 2-1 at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah. Brazilian striker Victor Simoes put the host team ahead a minute before the break. Moroccan striker Jawad Akadar leveled the scores for Al-Raid in the 73rd minute before securing win for the visitors a minute into injury time. The result kept both teams in their places on the standings – Ra'id seventh on 17 points and Ahli 12th on 11 points. Al-Hazm downed visitors Al-Fateh 2-1 at Al-Hazm Club Stadium in Al-Rus city. Togolese Doris Salumu put Fateh in the lead in the 67th minute before Hazm midfielder Riyadh Al-Areeni leveled the scores six minutes later. Abdullah Othman, however, put Hazm one up with a goal two minutes before time. Hazm remains at the bottom of the standings on six points, while Fateh is 13th on 11 points.
