The highly anticipated Jeddah derby failed to live up to expectations as Al-Ittihad suffered a narrow 1–0 home defeat against Al-Ahli on Saturday evening. Despite the intense rivalry and a near full-house at Al-Inflam Stadium, the match delivered few moments of excitement, with both teams opting for a conservative and defense-first approach. Al-Ahli took advantage of one of their rare attacking opportunities to claim all three points and further assert their dominance in the long-standing city rivalry. Sérgio Conceição, the Portuguese head coach of Al-Ittihad, appeared visibly frustrated during the post-match press conference. Arriving nearly ten minutes after Al-Ahli manager Matthias Jaissle had finished speaking, Conceição acknowledged the tight nature of the encounter. “We expected a difficult match — the kind that is decided by a single moment. Unfortunately, that moment went Al-Ahli’s way,” he said. “The real difference tonight was mentality. Technically, we were prepared, but we lacked the aggression and desire needed to win a derby.” Conceição admitted that his tactical setup had been designed for a more stretched and open game. His decision to start Roger instead of Dumbia on the flank was aimed at increasing the speed of transitions. However, Jaissle’s compact defensive structure, combined with disciplined positional play, prevented Al-Ittihad from generating meaningful attacking pressure. The defeat leaves Al-Ittihad in a difficult position in the Saudi Pro League table. Last season’s champions now sit eighth, thirteen points behind leaders Al-Nassr, and have failed to win any of their league matches since Conceição took charge. They have collected only two points from their last four fixtures. Tension also appears to be rising within the squad. Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn has not played a single minute since the new coach’s arrival despite being fully fit, a situation that has reportedly caused frustration and internal disagreements. Meanwhile, the stadium was not completely sold out, with approximately 45,000 fans in attendance. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, a company that had purchased around 10,000 tickets in bulk for resale failed to distribute them in time, resulting in visibly empty sections and renewed criticism of the club’s commercial ticketing strategy. Prior to kickoff, Al-Ittihad supporters displayed a banner honoring their milestone of “Five Million” cumulative matchday attendance this season. Conceição now views the November international break as a critical window to “rebuild mentality and tactical cohesion.” The players have been given four days off before training resumes on Thursday. Al-Ittihad face a decisive run of fixtures after the break: Al-Riyadh in the league, Al-Duhail of Qatar in the AFC Champions League, and Al-Shabab in the King’s Cup — a sequence that may determine whether Conceição’s tenure continues. Post navigation Ronaldo’s Last Chance at World Cup Glory
