Al Ittihad, led by Karim Benzema, faced a setback in the Asian Champions League as they suffered their first defeat in the ongoing season. The team was defeated 2-0 by Air Force Club in Iraq on Monday, adding pressure on manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
The reigning Saudi Arabian champions, who have been struggling in the Saudi Pro League, entered the match in Erbil holding a perfect 100 percent record in Group C, having previously secured a 1-0 win against Air Force Club in Jeddah last month.
However, at the Franso Hariri Stadium, the hosts managed to secure a victory with goals from Ali Jasim and Mohannad Abdulraheem, closing the gap to two points behind the group leaders after four matches.
Al Ittihad, who had been champions back-to-back in 2004 and 2005, found themselves trailing one minute before half-time when Jasim capitalized on Abdulraheem’s pass to score. Earlier in the game, Jasim had struck the post with a shot and later had a volley saved over the Ittihad crossbar by Saudi goalkeeper Abdullah Al Maayouf.
The second half proved even more challenging for Al Ittihad as Abdulraheem netted a close-range volley from Ibrahim Bayesh’s low cross, further extending the home team’s lead.
While performing well in the Asian competition, Al Ittihad has been struggling in the Saudi Pro League, failing to secure a win in their last five matches. This slump has led them to drop to the sixth position after 12 rounds, fueling speculation about Nuno’s potential departure from the club.
Last season, Nuno, the former manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, guided Al Ittihad to their first Saudi league title in 14 years.
In Group D, four-time winners Al Hilal maintained their unbeaten record with a 2-0 victory against Mumbai City in India, securing advancement to the knockout stages. Winger Michael scored just after the hour mark at the DY Patil Stadium, and Aleksandar Mitrovic doubled the lead in the 85th minute.
Meanwhile, in other fixtures, UAE club Sharjah was denied a consecutive Group B victory against Uzbekistan’s Nasaf. The hosts equalized Moussa Marega’s early strike through a Mateus goal nine minutes from time, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The game witnessed early penalties and late red cards for Sharjah goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani and Nasaf defender Alibek Davronov.
Despite the challenges, Sharjah leads the standings with eight points, while Nasaf holds the second position.
The group stage, which returned to a home-and-away format for the first time since early 2020, will continue until mid-December. Ten pool winners and the six best second-placed teams will advance to the knockout rounds, scheduled to commence in February. The final, held across two legs, is set for May.
