Al-Ittihad ground out their first win of the Saudi Roshn League season away at Al-Qadsiah, weathering four goals from their hosts on a night that also marked the debut of new Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders.
The Jeddah side won 1-0 at the Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam on Friday, in the second round of the competition.
Nigerian striker George Ilenikhena settled it in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, lashing a powerful left-footed strike from outside the box.
Al-Qadsiah, meanwhile, found the net four times. Mexican striker Julian Quinones claimed three of them. Every single one was chalked off, either for offside or for a foul in the build-up.
Quinones wasn't alone in his frustration. Al-Ittihad's Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri also had a goal disallowed after being caught offside.
Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic dug in for a marathon shift, repelling a string of dangerous Al-Qadsiah attacks, particularly in a second half the visitors played entirely with 10 men.
Senegalese midfielder Dion Lopy walked in the 47th minute, picking up a second yellow for a hard challenge on Al-Qadsiah's Portuguese playmaker Otavio. His teammates covered his absence superbly.
Manchester City's new signing Reijnders couldn't rescue his side, despite coming off the bench roughly 15 minutes into the second half.
Victory is Al-Ittihad's first of the campaign after a 1-1 draw with Al-Khaleej in the opening round. It lifts them to four points and fourth in the table.
Al-Qadsiah, by contrast, tasted their first defeat of the season after beating Al-Shabab last time out. They drop to eighth on just three points.