AFC Champions League: Aouar crucial during a tough night (video)
Despite another strong performance from Houssem Aouar, Al-Ittihad endured a tough evening at home. The Algerian international midfielder contributed to his team's only goal but could not prevent a heavy defeat against Al-Ain (1-4).
Al-Ittihad faced a challenging fourth matchday in the AFC Champions League. Playing against Al-Ain on Monday night at the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah, the Saudi club suffered a 4-1 defeat, despite an assist from Algerian international Houssem Aouar. This result further complicates the situation for Al-Ittihad in this continental tournament.
Positioned in midfield, the Algerian shone after the break. While his team was trailing by two goals, Aouar set up Marwan Al-Sahafi in the box in the 53rd minute. Well-placed by his teammate, the Saudi forward struck directly to beat the opposing goalkeeper and cut the deficit to 2-1. This goal briefly rekindled the hopes of the home side.
However, Al-Ittihad's response was short-lived. Five minutes after narrowing the score, Al-Ain restored their two-goal lead thanks to an own goal from defender Yan Carlo Simic, following an attempt by Al-Hussein Rahimi. In the closing moments, Matías Palacios sealed the fate of the match by converting a penalty in the 90th minute.
Earlier, Alejandro Cacau had opened the scoring in the 17th minute, followed by Rafael Rodrigues, who ensured the visitors went into halftime with a two-goal advantage.
With this victory, Al-Ain has secured a fourth consecutive win in the competition and maintains first place in the standings with 12 points. Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad remains stuck at four points and currently occupies ninth place.
For Houssem Aouar, this assist still represents a positive contribution on a particularly disappointing evening for his team, which will need to respond quickly to keep their qualification hopes alive.
DZfoot
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