VIDEO SHOWS: AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ELITE HIGHLIGHTS WITH SHABAB AL AHLI CLAIMING A 1-0 WIN AWAY TO AL ITTIHAD IN THE GROUP PHASE (SHOTLIST TO FOLLOW) SHOWS: JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA (SEPTEMBER 30, 2025) (AFC - See restrictions before use) STORY: Al-Ittihad suffered a second straight defeat in the Asian Champions League Elite on Tuesday (September 30) when Iranian midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi scored to earn Shabab Al-Ahli a 1-0 win over the struggling Saudi Pro League champions in Jeddah. The loss for a side featuring Karim Benzema, Ngolo Kante and Fabinho came with interim boss Hassan Khalifa in charge after Laurent Blanc had been fired following Friday's loss to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in the domestic league. Ezatolahi netted the game's only goal five minutes before halftime when he emerged at the far post to nod in Federico Cartabia's corner from the right. The result leaves Al-Ittihad in 11th place in the 12-team west Asian league phase standings after two matches with the first eight finishers qualifying for March's knockout rounds. (Production: David Grip) (The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)
