Ittihad lose 2-0 to Shabab Al-Ahli in AFC Champions League Elite

Sardar Azmoun opened the scoring for the Emirati team in the 7th minute, benefiting from a pass from Guilherme Bala, before the Iranian forward returned in the 16th minute to add the second goal with an assist from Reza Ghandipour.

Al-Ittihad attempted to reduce the deficit in the first half, through efforts from Steven Bergwijn and Georgi Elinichina, but the defense of Shabab Al-Ahli and their goalkeeper thwarted the attempts, ending the first half with the visitors leading by two goals to nil.

In the second half, Al-Ittihad intensified their attacking pressure, until Richard Ríos succeeded in scoring to reduce the deficit in the 66th minute, with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, following a pass from Marwan Al-Sahafi.

Despite Al-Ittihad's attempts to equalize in the closing minutes, Shabab Al-Ahli held on to their lead until the end, raising their tally to six points at the top of the group, while Al-Ittihad's total remains at one point, complicating their task in the qualification race.

Al-Ittihad suffered a painful defeat against their visitors Shabab Al-Ahli, losing 2-1, in the match that took place on Tuesday evening in the second round of the group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite, stumbling in front of their fans.