Attention turns to the highly anticipated clash between Al-Ettifaq and Al-Ittihad in Round 33 of the Saudi Pro League, with both teams battling for a valuable spot in next season’s Asian competitions.
Al-Ittihad enters the match sitting sixth in the standings, a position currently qualifying for the AFC Champions League 2, level on points with fifth-placed Al-Taawoun while holding an additional match advantage. Al-Ettifaq trails closely behind by just three points, making the encounter crucial for both sides.
Al-Ettifaq will be looking to end a long winless home run against Al-Ittihad, having failed to defeat the Jeddah club in Dammam since the 2020-2021 season. Since then, the hosts have suffered three defeats and managed only one draw at home against Al-Ittihad.
The last home victory for Al-Ettifaq came during the second half of the 2020-2021 campaign with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Saeed Al-Rubaie and Hazza Al-Hazza.
Since that result, Al-Ittihad has dominated the fixture. In the 2021-2022 season, the Jeddah side secured a 3-1 away victory through a Romarinho brace and a goal from Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah, while German midfielder Amin Younes scored for Al-Ettifaq.
The following season saw another commanding 3-0 victory for Al-Ittihad away from home, with goals from Helder Costa, Romarinho, and Haroune Camara.
The first-leg meeting of the 2023-2024 season ended in a 1-1 draw after Georginio Wijnaldum gave Al-Ettifaq the lead before Hamdallah equalized for Al-Ittihad.
Their most recent encounter ended with a dominant 4-0 victory for Al-Ittihad, with goals scored by N’Golo Kante, Karim Benzema, Steven Bergwijn, and Houssem Aouar.
Thursday’s match carries major significance not only because of the race for Asian qualification but also due to Al-Ettifaq’s determination to finally end its difficult home record against Al-Ittihad.
