Al-Ittihad FC host Shabab Al Ahli Dubai in the AFC Champions League. Both sides arrive with a mixed bag of results from their domestic leagues over the past few months, neither dominant nor out of form.
The two clubs met in this same competition last season, and that game alone gives a small hint of how close things can be between them. With this year's group stage only just underway for both, there's still plenty to learn about where they stand.
Analysis updated .
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How each side has been playing
Al-Ittihad have won 11 of their last 20 matches across competitions, drawing five and losing four, scoring 38 goals and conceding 30. That's a decent scoring return, though the goals against tally shows they've been breached fairly often too.
Al-Ittihad FC: 20 completed matches; Shabab Al Ahli Dubai: 20 completed matches.
Al-Ittihad FC
- Win
- 55% 11 / 20
- Draw
- 25% 5 / 20
- Loss
- 20% 4 / 20
- Scored
- 38
- Conceded
- 30
- Difference
- +8
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai
- Win
- 45% 9 / 20
- Draw
- 25% 5 / 20
- Loss
- 30% 6 / 20
- Scored
- 35
- Conceded
- 28
- Difference
- +7
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Champions League Elite | Al Shamal | Al-Ittihad FC | 14.09.2026 | 1-1 |
| Pro League | Al-Faisaly FC | Al-Ittihad FC | 11.09.2026 | 1-3 |
| Pro League | Al-Ittihad FC | Al-Fayha | 08.09.2026 | 2-1 |
| Pro League | Al-Ittihad FC | Al-Nassr | 05.09.2026 | 2-1 |
| Pro League | Al-Fateh | Al-Ittihad FC | 29.08.2026 | 0-0 |
| Pro League | Al-Ittihad FC | Al-Hazm | 24.08.2026 | 3-2 |
| Pro League | Al-Qadisiyah FC | Al-Ittihad FC | 21.08.2026 | 0-1 |
| Pro League | Al-Ittihad FC | Al Kholood | 15.08.2026 | 1-1 |
| AFC Champions League Elite | Al-Jazira | Al-Ittihad FC | 11.08.2026 | 1-4 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Malaga | Al-Ittihad FC | 30.07.2026 | 2-2 |
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League Cup | Hatta SC | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 19.09.2026 | 2-2 |
| AFC Champions League Elite | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | Tractor Sazi | 14.09.2026 | 1-0 |
| Pro League | Dubai United | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 10.09.2026 | 1-1 |
| Pro League | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | Al-Jazira | 05.09.2026 | 1-3 |
| Pro League | Al-Wasl FC | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 28.08.2026 | 0-1 |
| Pro League | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | Al-Dhafra | 22.08.2026 | 2-0 |
| Pro League | Khorfakkan | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 15.08.2026 | 1-5 |
| Friendlies Clubs | FSV Mainz 05 | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 31.07.2026 | 1-0 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Udinese | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 28.07.2026 | 1-2 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Sigma Olomouc | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 13.07.2026 | 2-0 |
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai's record over the same length of sample is nine wins, five draws and six losses, with 35 goals for and 28 against. It's a touch less consistent than Al-Ittihad's numbers, but not far off, and both teams have shown they can score and concede in the same game.
Neither side has been especially tight at the back recently, so goals at both ends wouldn't be a surprise.
Comparative Team Statistics: Al-Ittihad FC vs Shabab Al Ahli Dubai
Just one meeting to go on
The only recorded meeting between these two came in the AFC Champions League Elite last season, when Shabab Al Ahli Dubai won 1-0 away at Al-Ittihad. It's a single data point rather than a pattern, but it does show Shabab are capable of getting a result on the road against this opponent.
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Champions League Elite | Al-Ittihad FC | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 30.09.2025 | 0-1 |
Early positions in this year's competition
Both teams have played just one match apiece in the current AFC Champions League Elite standings. Shabab sit fifth with three points from a win, while Al-Ittihad are seventh with one point from a draw. It's far too early to read much into league position at this stage, but Shabab have made the brighter start of the two.
| № | Team | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | GF/GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Region | |||||||
| 1 | Al Ain | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4/0 | 3 |
| 2 | Esteghlal FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3/0 | 3 |
| 3 | Al-Qadisiyah FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/1 | 3 |
| 4 | Al-Hilal Saudi FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/1 | 3 |
| 5 | Shabab Al Ahli Dubai | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/0 | 3 |
| 6 | Neftchi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/0 | 3 |
| 7 | Al-Ittihad FC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 |
| 8 | Al Shamal | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 |
| 9 | Pakhtakor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 |
| 10 | Al-Ahli Jeddah | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 |
| 11 | Al-Wasl FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/2 | 0 |
| 12 | Al-Gharafa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/2 | 0 |
| 13 | Al Quwa Al Jawiya | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/1 | 0 |
| 14 | Tractor Sazi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/1 | 0 |
| 15 | Al Sadd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/3 | 0 |
| 16 | Al-Nassr | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/4 | 0 |
Names to know from Al-Ittihad
Among the limited player data available, Georginio Wijnaldum has scored in the early rounds for Al-Ittihad, and Steven Bergwijn has an assist to his name over two appearances. Josip Šimić has picked up a yellow card. There's no equivalent breakdown for Shabab Al Ahli Dubai in what we've got, and none of this confirms who will actually feature come kickoff.
x 1Squad lists and player details
Squad and player details
| Name | Country | Age | Position | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. Bergwijn | Netherlands | 28 | Attacker | 171 | 74 |
| M. Diaby | France | 27 | Attacker | 170 | 68 |
| G. Wijnaldum | Netherlands | 35 | Midfielder | 173 | 74 |
| Danilo Pereira | Portugal | 35 | Defender | 188 | 83 |
| H. Aouar | Algeria | 28 | Midfielder | 175 | 70 |
| P. Rajković | Serbia | 30 | Goalkeeper | 191 | 86 |
| Mukhtar Ali | Saudi Arabia | 28 | Midfielder | 187 | 70 |
| Hassan Kadesh | Saudi Arabia | 34 | Defender | 179 | 75 |
| Saleh Al Shehri | Saudi Arabia | 32 | Attacker | 183 | 77 |
| Muhannad Al Shanqiti | Saudi Arabia | 27 | Defender | 173 | 70 |
| Y. En-Nesyri | Morocco | 29 | Attacker | 188 | 73 |
| F. Abdi | USA | 27 | Defender | 180 | 73 |
| Ahmed Al Ghamdi | Saudi Arabia | 25 | Attacker | 175 | 71 |
| R. Rios | Colombia | 26 | Midfielder | 185 | 74 |
| D. Lopy | Senegal | 24 | Midfielder | 186 | 76 |
| S. Keller | Cameroon | 25 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| Mohammed Al Absi | Saudi Arabia | 24 | Goalkeeper | 183 | 83 |
| Rakan Kaabi | Saudi Arabia | 23 | Midfielder | 170 | 70 |
| Osama Al Mermesh | Saudi Arabia | 23 | Goalkeeper | 182 | 67 |
| Mohammed Barnawi | Saudi Arabia | 21 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| Name | Country | Age | Position | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. Azmoun | Iran | 31 | Attacker | 187 | 80 |
| N. Maksimović | Serbia | 31 | Midfielder | 189 | 69 |
| Yuri César | Brazil | 26 | Attacker | 172 | 68 |
| S. Ezatolahi | Iran | 30 | Midfielder | 191 | 89 |
| Jorge Fernandes | Portugal | 29 | Defender | 191 | 78 |
| F. Cartabia | Argentina | 33 | Midfielder | 171 | 68 |
| Yahya Al Ghassani | United Arab Emirates | 28 | Midfielder | 178 | 71 |
| Khaled Al Senaani | United Arab Emirates | 37 | Goalkeeper | 180 | 75 |
| Hamad Abdullah | United Arab Emirates | 23 | Goalkeeper | 186 | 83 |
| Igor Gomes | Brazil | 25 | Defender | 186 | 76 |
| Guilherme Bala | Brazil | 25 | Midfielder | 175 | 75 |
| Matheus Donelli | Brazil | 24 | Goalkeeper | 188 | 85 |
| Renan | Brazil | 24 | Defender | 179 | 78 |
| Sultan Adil | United Arab Emirates | 22 | Attacker | 185 | 76 |
| Bader Nasser | United Arab Emirates | 25 | Defender | 179 | 70 |
| Rikelme | Brazil | 23 | Defender | 184 | 80 |
| Mateusão | Brazil | 22 | Attacker | 184 | 80 |
| Rakaan Waleed | United Arab Emirates | 25 | 179 | 73 | |
| J. Markelo | Netherlands | 23 | Attacker | 181 | 71 |
| Oumar Keita | Guinea | 23 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
Given how little separates these two on the numbers we have, and with no market to weigh against that, we're not backing a specific outcome here.
Worth revisiting closer to kickoff once there's more recent form in this competition and, ideally, some market context to work with.
Who will win?
