Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao, the head coach of Al-Ittihad Jeddah, spoke about the reasons for his team's loss to Al-Ahli, with a score of three goals to one, in the Jeddah Derby held on Friday evening as part of the Saudi League competition.

Conceição described the match as a strong encounter between two great teams, emphasizing that small details played an important role in determining the outcome of the game, which witnessed intense competition between both sides.

The Al-Ittihad coach explained that his team started the match in an impressive manner during the first half, as both teams managed to reach the goal, but Al-Ahli took advantage of one of the opportunities and scored their first goal.

He pointed out that the team succeeded in making a comeback during the second half and regained confidence after scoring the equalizing goal, but Al-Ahly later managed to score the second goal, which changed the rhythm of the match.

Conceição added that after taking the lead, Al Ahly resorted to slowing down the game and engaging in arguments with the referee, before Al Ittihad conceded a third goal due to a mistake that largely decided the match.

The Portuguese coach confirmed that certain periods of the match saw Al-Ahly's superiority due to his team's mistakes, even though the game was balanced at many moments. He praised his players' spirit and the effort they put in.

Conceição explained that Al-Ahly does not rely on high pressing, but rather prefers to lure the opponent and play long balls, taking advantage of the physical strength and speed of its players, in addition to having outstanding offensive elements.

The Al-Ittihad coach concluded his remarks by emphasizing that Al-Ahli sometimes succeeded in disrupting Al-Ittihad players' mental focus, which often happens in derby matches, affecting the team's ability to control the encounter.