ACL champions fired up for Jeddah derby
JEDDAH – Reigning AFC Champions League champions Al Ittihad will be looking to maintain their dominance over city rivals Al Ahli in the eagerly anticipated second installment of the Jeddah derby on Saturday.
Al Ittihad will also hope to reduce the deficit on Saudi Arabia 2004/05 league leaders Al Hilal, who they trail ten points.
However, they have two games in hand and will be hoping to close the gap with victory over Al Ahli, who will also represent Saudi Arabia in the 2005 AFC Champions League.
Al Ittihad, who orchestrated one of the greatest comebacks in Asian football history when they defeated Seongnam Ihlwa Chunma in the 2004 AFC Champions League final, host the match and hold the psychological edge over Al Ahli having won the first clash of the season between the two great rivals back in September 2004.
Al Ahli, , went a goal down through an 11th minute penalty through Al Ittihad’s influential midfielder Mohammed Nour but Carlos Oliveira equalized 20 minutes later.
Five minutes before the interval veteran Al Ittihad striker Hamzah Idriss made it 2-1 before an own-goal from before Al Ahli’s Walid Abedraboh inadvertently made it 3-1 when he put the ball in his own net in the 60th minute.
Ibrahim Suwaid piled on the agony when he scored Al Ittihad’s fourth four minutes later while Saudi Arabia international Talal Al Meshal grabbed a late consolation for Al Ahli three minutes from time.
Al Ahli make their Asian Champions League debut on March 8 when they take on Iraq’s Al Zawra’a, while Al Ittihad, as defending champions, have been given an automatic bye to the quarter-finals.
المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة رحــ R ــال
