Wijnaldum and Ríos reveal reasons for Ittihad's loss to Shabab Al-Ahli

Jorginho Wijnaldum and Richard Ríos, players of Al-Ittihad, have blamed defensive errors and lack of focus for the team's loss against Shabab Al-Ahli, with a score of 1-2, in the AFC Champions League Elite.

Wijnaldum stated in remarks to Al Arabiya that the team did not deliver the required level during the first half, explaining: "It was not a good half, and we conceded goals easily," emphasizing the need to work on correcting the course.

The Dutch player warned about the danger of set pieces, emphasizing the need for a stronger approach to corners and defensive situations. He also pointed out that the team has given their opponents repeated chances, which are mistakes that also appeared during the previous match against Al-Hilal.

Richard Ríos acknowledged Shabab Al-Ahli's superiority in the first half, explaining that a lack of focus allowed the Emirati team to score two early goals, complicating Al-Ittihad's task of coming back into the match.

Richard Ríos stated that losing at home to Al-Ittihad in front of their fans is hard to accept, pointing out that the team showed fighting spirit in the second half. However, he emphasized the need to have this mentality from the start and to put in greater effort to achieve victories.