Al-Eittihad suffered a second consecutive defeat on Tuesday in the Asian Champions League-Elite when the Iranian midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi scored to win Shabab al-Ahli a 1-0 victory over the wrestling Saudi Pro League champions in Jeddah.
The loss for one side with Karim Benzema, Ngolo Kante and Fabinho came with interim boss Hassan Khalifa who was in charge after Laurent Blanc was fired after the loss of Friday against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the domestic competition.
Ezatolahi scored the only goal of the game five minutes before the break when he appeared on the distant pole to nod in the corner of Federico Cartabia from the right.
The result leaves Al-Eittihad in 11th place in the 12-team West Asian League-phase rankings after two games with the first eight finishers to qualify for the March-run rounds of March.
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«After a loss, it is always difficult to describe how we feel, it is not good,» said Al-Estihad defender Mario Mitaj.
«The only thing we can say is that we come back stronger, we will try to improve the things that we did not do well and apologize to our fans who came to visit us.»
The victory moves Paulo Souza’s Shabab al-Ahli to four points, two points behind early leaders Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia and alongside colleague Emirati-Side Sharjah FC and Al-Wahda as well as defender Al-Ahli.
In Doha, Sharjah fought back to earn a 1-1 draw with Al-Sadd, with the striker Caio Lucas, born in Brazil, who left the equalizer in the 73rd minute.
Qatar International Akram Afif had given the home team the lead in the 18th minute with a well-affected effort from the edge of the area that flew past Darwish Mohammad and beat the Sharjah goalkeeper at his nearby post.
Caio missed three minutes later from the penalty spot, but made up for another 17 minutes when he reached Nobility Taarabt up close in the Lofted Pass.
«It was difficult, tough, but we suffered a little and in the end we got the goal,» Caio said. «Unfortunately I missed the punishment, but this is life, we have to go on.»
Published on October 1, 2025
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