Al-Ittihad vs Al-Wehda: Will Benzema and Co. have enough stability?
On Sunday, September 15, the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah will host a match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Wehda as part of the 3rd round of the Saudi Arabian League.
Having failed last season in the national championship and lost the title, Al-Ittihad drew conclusions and prepared much better for the new campaign. At least in terms of personnel. Star French specialist Laurent Blanc was invited to the coaching bridge of the club from Jeddah, and the "roster" was strengthened by a number of experienced and famous players.
Aston Villa's Moussa Diaby was one of the most expensive signings of the summer window in world football at €60m, but other new arrivals worth looking at include Ajax's Steven Bergwijn, Roma's Houssem Aouar, PSG's Danilo Pereira, Mallorca's Predrag Rajkovic and Lokomotiv Moscow's Mario Mitaj.
The results so far make us look to the future with hope. Al-Ittihad won two games in two – over Al-Kholud 1:0 and over Al-Taawun 2:1. And although such “victories” cannot be called super convincing (the second victory was a strong-willed one, achieved in the 90+8 minute), Karim Benzema and company have already earned 6 points. And this speaks of efficiency and some stability – both qualities that Al-Ittihad lacked last season.
Al-Wehda
Another team that has seen a lot of changes compared to the previous, far from successful season. Al-Wehda barely held on to the top division (only +4 points from the relegation zone), and the club's management decided that the team urgently needed "fresh blood".
The head coach was replaced - now he is the experienced German Josef Zinnbauer, who worked briefly in Russia. The team was also "shaken up". In the summer and early autumn, more than a dozen newcomers came to Al-Wehda, and although there are no big stars among them, there are still recognizable names. This is the central midfielder Juninho Bacuna, who came from the English Birmingham, as well as a good goalkeeper Ignacio de Arruabarrena, who came from the Portuguese Arouca.
Al-Wehda's starting results are quite positive. A draw with Al-Riyadh (3:3) and a victory over Al-Oruba (2:1) allow Zinnbauer's charges to be in the top seven in the championship table.
Taking this factor into account, as well as the tendency for opponents to exchange goals in personal confrontations (this happened in 3 of the last 4 meetings), we offer the “both teams to score” option with a coefficient of 1.77 as the optimal forecast for the Al-Ittihad – Al-Wehda match.
Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Al-Ittihad vs Al-Wehda
Al-IttihadHaving failed last season in the national championship and lost the title, Al-Ittihad drew conclusions and prepared much better for the new campaign. At least in terms of personnel. Star French specialist Laurent Blanc was invited to the coaching bridge of the club from Jeddah, and the "roster" was strengthened by a number of experienced and famous players.
Aston Villa's Moussa Diaby was one of the most expensive signings of the summer window in world football at €60m, but other new arrivals worth looking at include Ajax's Steven Bergwijn, Roma's Houssem Aouar, PSG's Danilo Pereira, Mallorca's Predrag Rajkovic and Lokomotiv Moscow's Mario Mitaj.
The results so far make us look to the future with hope. Al-Ittihad won two games in two – over Al-Kholud 1:0 and over Al-Taawun 2:1. And although such “victories” cannot be called super convincing (the second victory was a strong-willed one, achieved in the 90+8 minute), Karim Benzema and company have already earned 6 points. And this speaks of efficiency and some stability – both qualities that Al-Ittihad lacked last season.
Al-Wehda
Another team that has seen a lot of changes compared to the previous, far from successful season. Al-Wehda barely held on to the top division (only +4 points from the relegation zone), and the club's management decided that the team urgently needed "fresh blood".
The head coach was replaced - now he is the experienced German Josef Zinnbauer, who worked briefly in Russia. The team was also "shaken up". In the summer and early autumn, more than a dozen newcomers came to Al-Wehda, and although there are no big stars among them, there are still recognizable names. This is the central midfielder Juninho Bacuna, who came from the English Birmingham, as well as a good goalkeeper Ignacio de Arruabarrena, who came from the Portuguese Arouca.
Al-Wehda's starting results are quite positive. A draw with Al-Riyadh (3:3) and a victory over Al-Oruba (2:1) allow Zinnbauer's charges to be in the top seven in the championship table.
Al-Ittihad vs Al-Wehda facts
- Al-Ittihad have conceded goals in four consecutive home league games
- Al-Wehda have lost only one of their last 5 away matches in the Saudi League (2 wins, 2 draws)
- In Al-Wehda's last 4 league matches both teams have scored, while Al-Ittihad have done so in 4 of their last 5 matches.
Odds from download 1xbet
In the bookmaker's office 1xbet, the favorite of the match of the Saudi Arabian championship is considered to be the Al-Ittihad team, on whose victory you can bet with a coefficient of 1.32. A bet on a draw can be made with a coefficient of 5.30, but the victory of the guests - Al-Wehda, is estimated with a coefficient of 7.90. Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!Game Totals Prediction
Blanc's men have shown that they are capable of getting results in matches that are not going perfectly. But Al-Wehda have also looked impressive at the start of the season - 5 goals scored in 2 games, only two teams have more.Taking this factor into account, as well as the tendency for opponents to exchange goals in personal confrontations (this happened in 3 of the last 4 meetings), we offer the “both teams to score” option with a coefficient of 1.77 as the optimal forecast for the Al-Ittihad – Al-Wehda match.
Comments 0