Al-Ittihad Jeddah – Al-Ain: preview
We have the lineups for the match between Al-Ittihad Jeddah and Al-Ain in the context of the fourth round of the AFC Elite Champions League for the 2026/27 season. In the fourth round, the leader of the western table, "Al-Ain", will try to take the points from Jeddah, beating an "Al-Ittihad" that does not always show confidence.
Key moments
Al-Ittihad Jeddah
1. "Al-Ittihad" is decent both in the league and in the ACL, but lacks stability
In the Saudi Arabian league, "Al-Ittihad" appears quite solid: after eleven rounds, the team of Jens Vissing has 24 points and sits in fourth place. In recent weeks, the Jeddah side beat "Al-Ittifaq" (4:1) and "Al-Diriyah" (2:0), but then drew with "Abha" (1:1). In the AFC Champions League, results are less stable: after a draw with "Al-Shamal" (1:1) and a loss to "Shabab Al-Ahli" (1:2), "Al-Ittihad" defeated "Neftchi" in Ferghana (2:1). In the last league match against "Abha", "Al-Ittihad" was leading after the goal by Husam Awara, but could not hold the score, losing in the 87th minute.
2. Rios was injured in the league match and his participation on Monday is in doubt
The main recent loss for "Al-Ittihad" is midfielder Richard Rios: the Colombian suffered an injury in the eighth minute of the match against "Abha" and had to leave the field. His participation in the clash with "Al-Ain" is also in doubt; there is no information on his recovery period, but if he does not appear, Jens Vissing will have to look for alternatives in midfield. In addition, the injury list includes Hamad Al-Ghamdi, Hassan Kadish, Mahmoud Dembi and Roger Fernandes, which severely limits the midfield options.
3. EAU clubs fight to win, and the last two meetings with "Al-Ain" ended in defeat
Previous encounters against "Al-Ain" were unfavorable for "Al-Ittihad": two quarter‑final matches in 2014 were lost 0:2 away and 1:3 at home. In the same season, in the group stage, the team won 2:1 at home and drew 1:1 away. The statistics against UAE clubs are also not very convincing: out of 25 matches, Jeddah's side has won nine, drawn eight and lost eight.
Al-Ain
1. "Al-Ain" is not very solid in domestic tournaments, but leads the Champions League
"Al-Ain" approaches the match with the status of one of the leaders of the overall table. The team of Vladimir Ivić won all three meetings in the general phase: after victories over "Al-Nasr" (4:0) and "Al-Jawe" (4:1), the Emiratis beat "Tractor" (2:1). In internal UAE tournaments, results are less decisive: in the last match, the team lost to "Shabab Al-Ahli" (0:2) and also lost to the same "Shabab" in the President's Cup 3:2. The last round of the match was postponed, but after six rounds, "Al-Ain" has one point less than the leader.
2. The attacking leader of "Al-Ain", Rahimi, could miss the game against "Al-Ittihad"
The main question is the condition of Moroccan striker Suhayfian Rahimi, who suffered a muscle injury in the cup match against "Shabab", after which he missed the encounter with "Tractor". Rahimi is one of the team's offensive leaders and scored five goals in three competition matches, and if the striker does not play, this can significantly affect "Al-Ain"'s attack. Even without him, "Al-Ain" has already shown it can create problems even for strong rivals.
3. "Al-Ain" is very productive and especially in the Champions League, but also concedes a lot
"Al-Ain" is the most productive team in the first three rounds of the AFC Champions League. In three matches, the Arab club scored nine goals, more than three per game on average. In addition, four of those ten goals came in the match against another Saudi club, "Al-Nasr" (4:1). In the thirteen matches of the season across all competitions, "Al-Ain" scored 30 goals, with a single defeat without scoring (0:2 against "Shabab"), but also conceded 18 goals, 15 of which in the last seven.
Estimated formations
4-2-3-1 5-3-2 1-2-1 5-0-3 2-1-1
Upcoming matches
Prediction
Al-Ittihad Jeddah vs Al-Ain 02.11.2026 22:15
"Al-Ittihad" performs with confidence in the league, but stability still lacks in Jens Vissing's team: after victories over "Al-Ittifaq" and "Al-Diriyah", the Jeddah side could not maintain the advantage in the encounter with "Abha". In the Champions League, results are also ambiguous: four points in three matches. In addition, the Jeddah side risks running out of Richard Rios, who was injured in the last league round, and the midfield options are already quite limited.
"Al-Ain", leader of the western group of the Champions League, with three victories in three matches. The team of Vladimir Ivić scored nine goals and looks especially convincing in the attack, but results in national tournaments are much poorer. An additional problem could be the absence of Suhayfian Rahimi: the Moroccan, who scored five goals in three ACL matches, missed the previous encounter due to a muscle injury and his condition remains in doubt. However, the defense does not seem flawless: in 13 matches of the season, it conceded 18.
"Al-Ain" seems more convincing in the Champions League, but squad issues and a not-so-reliable defense may prevent a victory.
Prediction: 2-2
