Al Ittihad surrendered their position atop the Roshn Saudi League standings after being held to a dramatic 1-1 draw by Al Fayha at King Abdullah Sports City in Buraidah on Saturday. A cagey first half made way for an eventful second period, with both teams creating moments of tension and drama. Despite Al Ittihad dominating large spells, Laurent Blanc’s men failed to capitalize on two penalties, ultimately salvaging a point through a late equalizer. The game’s turning point seemed imminent 12 minutes into the second half when Al Ittihad were awarded a penalty following a handball by Al Fayha’s Spanish midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo. However, Karim Benzema, aiming to edge closer to the league’s top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, was thwarted by Al Fayha goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera, who pulled off an impressive save. Benzema came close to redeeming himself in the 65th minute. The French striker broke free down the left and attempted a delicate lob over Mosquera, but his effort sailed narrowly wide of the far post. The drama heightened in the 86th minute when Al Ittihad earned another penalty after Chris Smalling handled a cross inside the box. This time, Houssem Aouar stepped up, but Mosquera once again emerged as […]