Ittifaq defeated host Al-Hazm 4-1 in a round 23 match of the Zain Saudi Professional League at the Al-Hazm Club Stadium in Arrus City Thursday. Brazilian midfielder Matthaeus put the visitors in the lead 16 minutes into the game. His teammate striker Yusuf Al-Salem doubled the lead two minutes later. Argentinean midfielder Sbastian Tegali added one more four minutes before the break. Serbian Nemanja Obric scored Hazm's only goal five minutes after the break. Al-Salem, however, managed to score one more for Ittifaq to make it 4-1. The win lifted Ittifaq to fourth place on the standings with 39 points, while Hazm, which will leave the league, sits 14th with only six points. Seventh-placed Al-Ta'awon also routed 6th-placed visitors Al-Faisali 4-1 in Buraidah. Emad Hantoul, Mansour Kurtisi, Ali Al-Turki and Dejan Rusic scored the goals for Ta'awon, while Omar Kassar scored Al-Faisali's consolation goal.
