ILENIKHENA SCORES IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES AS AL-ITTIHAD SECURE 2-0 VICTORY

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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim

George Ilenikhena continued his impressive run in the Saudi Pro League, scoring in consecutive matches for Al-Ittihad.

The Super Eagles striker opened the scoring in the 30th minute as Al-Ittihad defeated Al-Diriyah 2-0 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah during their 11th-round encounter. The goal came three days after he scored and registered an assist in the club’s 4-1 victory over Al-Ettifaq.

Ilenikhena reacted quickly to a rebound after the goalkeeper parried a shot from his teammate, Rios. His goal was subsequently upheld following a Video Assistant Referee review.

Georginio Wijnaldum completed the victory by converting a penalty in the 77th minute.

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Al-Ittihad brought on Youssef En-Nesyri and Dion Lopy after the interval, while Al-Diriyah introduced Darwin Nunez in an attempt to change the course of the match. However, the visitors were unable to find a breakthrough.

The victory took Al-Ittihad to 21 points, placing them fourth in the league standings as they pursue table leaders Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.

Ilenikhena had also delivered an outstanding performance against Al-Ettifaq on Tuesday, earning the Man of the Match award. He played for 73 minutes before being replaced by En-Nesyri, who scored twice late in the game.

The victory over Al-Ettifaq ended Al-Ittihad’s run of two consecutive defeats, following a 3-2 loss to Al-Hilal on October 10 and a 2-1 defeat to Shabab Al-Ahli.

The former Monaco forward missed the opening match due to a fitness concern before returning from a minor injury for the subsequent fixture.

Speaking after the victory over Al-Ettifaq, Ilenikhena stressed the importance of bouncing back from the team’s recent setbacks.

“It is very important for us to win this game after losing two games. It is very important to react, and we reacted in the best way, so we are very happy,” he told the Saudi press.

The striker has now scored or provided an assist in each of his last five Saudi Pro League appearances. He has recorded eight goals and three assists in eight starts this season, giving him 11 goal contributions in those matches.

Overall, Ilenikhena has featured in 12 matches for Al-Ittihad across all competitions, making one appearance as a substitute.