Al Ahly will face Saud Arabian powerhouses Al Ittihad in the second round of the Club World Cup. Al Ittihad is representing the host country at the event after winning the 2022–23 Saudi Pro League. Their opponents are competing as the CAF Champions League winner.
Preview (Al Ahly vs. Al Ittihad)
Al Ahly, who won the CAF Champions League in 2022–23, will play in the second round of the championship. The most prosperous club in Africa defeated AC Wydad in the championship match. They won 2-1 in the first leg and held their rivals to a 1-1 draw in the second leg. They won the trophy for the eleventh time in their history. Following their debut in the 2005 competition, the record CAF Champions League winners will now be making their fourth straight and ninth overall participation at the Club World Cup as a result of their achievement.
Al Ahly has never won the championship, but they have placed third three times. Their most recent showing was in 2021 when they defeated Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia 4-0. It helped them place third in the tournament behind winners Chelsea and runners-up Palmeiras. Al Ahly must defeat Al Ittihad to set up a semifinal matchup with Copa Libertadores winners Fluminense. The Egyptian team hasn’t lost in eight competitive games. They haven’t been able to turn draws into wins lately; four of their previous five games have ended in draws.
Al Ittihad has already achieved success in their second Club World Cup campaign. The Saudi Pro League team made its tournament debut in 2005. They defeated Auckland City of New Zealand 3-0 in Jeddah to make their comeback to the competition. All three goals came in the first half of the game. Just before the half, Romarinho gave the Saudi Arabian team the lead. N’Golo Kante, the 2021 Club World Cup winner, then scored his second goal.
Team News
The 4-3-3 configuration is anticipated to be used by Al Ahly manager Marcelo Koller, with Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Ramy Rabia, and Ali Maaloul lining up in the backline. Ahraba, who has five goals in nine competitive games this season, will play in a front three with Hussein El Shahat and Percy Tau. Anthony Modeste, a former striker for Borussia Dortmund, may be included among the substitutes after bouncing back from a minor injury to play a late role in the CAF Champions League goalless draw against Belouizdad last Friday.
The former Real Betis defender Luiz Felipe is unavailable for the visitors due to a recent muscle injury he received in a league loss to Damac. Gallardo would be tempted to stick with the same starting lineup, which would include former Premier League stars Fabinho and Kante in midfield, after watching his team easily defeat Auckland City in the first round. Benzema, who joined Al Ittihad from Real Madrid in the summer, has scored 11 goals in 17 games and will continue to lead the line.
Al Ahly 1-2 Al Ittihad
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