JEDDAH — Shabab Al Ahli secured a valuable 2-1 away victory against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad at the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah during the second round of the AFC Champions League Elite.
The “Knights” established early dominance, capitalizing on the attacking movements of Guilherme Bala, who maneuvered past the Al Ittihad defense before delivering a precise cross to Sardar Azmoun, who turned it into the net to give his side the lead in the 7th minute. However, Shabab Al Ahli’s joy was short-lived as Bala sustained an injury in the 15th minute, forcing him off the pitch in a significant blow to the Emirati side, which lost one of its standout attacking players.
Despite the setback, Shabab Al Ahli continued to exploit spaces in the Al Ittihad defense. Azmoun successfully doubled his team’s lead after receiving a brilliant through-ball from Kawan Santos, sprinting from midfield to find himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, before rounding the custodian and slotting the ball home to net his second goal of the match in the 17th minute.
Shabab Al Ahli capitalized on Al Ittihad’s pressing urgency to claw their way back, coming close to extending their lead on multiple occasions through counter-attacks. Marqello fired a shot from inside the penalty area that drifted just past the post, followed by another attempt from the same player that missed the target.
Conversely, Al Ittihad failed to pose a major threat during the first half, save for a shot by Dutchman Steven Bergwijn expertly parried by Shabab Al Ahli goalkeeper Donelli, while Saeid Ezatolahi squandered a favorable opportunity to extend his team’s advantage by directing his shot straight at the goalkeeper’s position.
The match dynamics shifted at the start of the second half as Shabab Al Ahli dropped back into a defensive block, allowing Al Ittihad to exert continuous offensive pressure and pull a goal back through Richard Rios, whose powerful strike settled into the left side of the net to bring the hosts back into contention in the 67th minute.
Shabab Al Ahli’s defense fought valiantly in the remaining minutes, withstanding wave after wave of attacks from the Saudi side as they searched for an equalizer. The “Knights” successfully preserved their lead until the final whistle, sealing a precious victory away from home.
With this result, Shabab Al Ahli raised their tally to six points, pulling level with Al Ain, Esteghlal of Iran, and Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, though they sit fourth on goal difference. Meanwhile, Al Ittihad dropped to 11th place with one point.
