Al-Hilal missed the chance to close the gap to Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Ittihad on Friday after a 1-1 draw at Al-Ettifaq.

Al-Hilal started the day eight points behind Al-Ittihad, who beat Al-Orobah 2-0 on Thursday, but could not come from behind to earn a win, leaving them seven points behind Laurent Blanc's side. 

Al-Ettifaq dominated the first half and got their reward in the sixth minute of stoppage time, Joao Costa pouncing on Demarai Gray's blocked shot to fire them into the lead from outside the box.

However, Al-Hilal pushed after the break, with Malcom hitting the roof of the net from close range after Aleksandr Mitrovic had missed two opportunities.

Both teams pushed for a winner, with the visitors having 13 shots overall in the second half, though the spoils were eventually shared.

FT.#ETFHIL pic.twitter.com/a77ROgnock

— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) April 11, 2025

Earlier on Friday, Al-Ahli ensured they kept the pressure on third-place Al-Nassr with a 2-0 victory over struggling Al-Raed.

After a bright start, Al-Ahli were awarded a 23rd-minute penalty after Hamad Al Jayzani fouled Ali Majrashi in the box, and Franck Kessie confidently stroked the spot-kick home.

Al-Raed attempted to mount a fightback before the break without any luck, and when play resumed, Al-Ahli were on the front foot once again.

Gabri Veiga made sure of the points in the 66th minute, as he nicely teed himself up after meeting a blocked cross before bending it in with the outside of his boot.

The victory moved them up to fourth in the table, leapfrogging Al-Qadisiyah and moving them two points behind Al-Nassr, who play on Saturday.

Data Debrief: Al-Hilal miss the final piece

Jorge Jesus' half-time team talk worked wonders for Al-Hilal as they improved on a mediocre first-half performance, though they were just lacking a cutting edge.

They did not manage a single shot on target in the first half, improving that to six in the second, with Malcom getting the equaliser with a poacher's finish into the roof of the net.

Al-Hilal have stretched their unbeaten streak to 14 games against Al-Ettifaq (W12 D2) but could not get what would have been a necessary win.