Al-Ittihad Suffer 2-1 Defeat to Shabab Al-Ahli in AFC Champions League Elite

Al-Ittihad have failed to win either of their opening two matches in the AFC Champions League Elite for the second consecutive season after losing 2-1 to the UAE’s Shabab Al-Ahli in Jeddah on Tuesday.

The Saudi club suffered their first defeat of this season’s continental campaign in the second round of the West Zone group stage at Al-Inma Stadium. The result leaves them with just one point from two matches, following a 1-1 draw against Qatar’s Al-Shamal in their opening fixture.

Shabab Al-Ahli, meanwhile, continued their strong start to the competition, securing a second consecutive victory to move to six points and fourth place in the 16-team West Zone standings.

Al-Ittihad faced an early setback as Shabab Al-Ahli striker Sardar Azmoun scored twice in the opening 16 minutes. The Iranian forward found the net in the seventh minute before adding his second goal in the 16th, giving the visitors a commanding advantage.

The two early goals put Al-Ittihad under pressure as they attempted to recover in front of their home supporters. The Saudi side improved after the interval and managed to reduce the deficit in the 66th minute through Colombian midfielder Richard Rios.

However, Al-Ittihad were unable to find an equaliser during the remaining minutes, allowing Shabab Al-Ahli to leave Jeddah with all three points.

The defeat continues a difficult opening pattern for Al-Ittihad in the tournament. Last season, the club also failed to record a win in its first two matches, losing consecutive fixtures against UAE side Al-Wahda and Shabab Al-Ahli.

Al-Ittihad lost 2-1 to Al-Wahda before suffering a 1-0 defeat against Shabab Al-Ahli, leaving them with no points from their first two games in the previous campaign.

This season, the draw against Al-Shamal initially offered the Saudi team a point before Tuesday’s loss further complicated their position in the group standings.

With one point from their opening two matches, Al-Ittihad sit 11th in the West Zone table and will need stronger results in the coming rounds to improve their standing and strengthen their hopes of progressing in the competition.

Shabab Al-Ahli’s six points put them in a more favourable position after two matches. Their victory in Jeddah also underlined the difference between the teams’ starts to the continental campaign, with the Emirati side building momentum while Al-Ittihad search for their first win.