Al Ittihad vs Al Wehda: Preview, Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips

Date: 26 February, Monday

Kick-off Time: 5:00 PM (GMT)

Stadium: King Abdullah Sports City

Al Ittihad vs Al Wehda Preview:

Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad Club will host Al Wehda on Monday at King Abdullah Sports City stadium in hopes of securing their fourth victory in a row in the Saudi Pro League. The Jeddah-based club made a good start to the league but lost their way after a while. However, with players slowly returning from injury, the club seems hopeful of ending the season in an AFC Champions League spot. Before hosting Al Wehda at home on Monday, the club will host Al Navbahor in the second leg of the AFC Champions League Round of 16 on Thursday. Al Ittihad looks strong enough to progress to the quarter-finals. 

Meanwhile, Al Wehda Club will look to bounce back from their draining draw against Al Tai last weekend. The club in Mecca currently sit in 9th position in the league. Al Wehda have had a good season and currently seems en route to a much stronger finish to this season compared to last season. But, the club has struggled in recent games. Al Wehda has now gone three games without scoring in away matches and could struggle against Al Ittihad which likes to score for fun. They have also failed to maintain a clean sheet in their last four outings. 

Also Read: Al Tai vs Al Ahli Preview, Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips

Team News:

Al Ittihad:

Karim Benzema’s club have been in fine form post the 2-5 drubbing they received from Al Nassr Club a few weeks ago. Last week, the Jeddah-based club beat Al Riyadh Club by a comfortable 2-0 margin. Al Ittihad looks threatening and will only improve with the return of key players from injuries.

Currently, Al Ittihad are without the services of Luiz Felipe. The midfielder was in fine form before he sustained an injury in early February. Al Ittihad fans will be hopeful for his return ahead of the Al Wehda fixture, as he was spotted back in group training this week. Winger Jota has struggled to settle into the Al Ittihad side since his transfer to the Saudi Arabian club. Just as he was settling down, an injury sidelined him for an undisclosed period. He is unlikely to return for the tie against Al Wehda. 

Al Ittihad will also host Al Wehda without the services of Mohammed Sharahilli and Abdullah Al-Jadani who are sidelined with long-term injuries. Defender Muhannad Shanqeeti continues to recover from the injury he sustained back in December. 

Left-back Ahmed Bamsaud will also be absent for the tie against Al Wehda. 

Al Wehda:

Al Wehda comes into the tie against Al Ittihad on the back of a lethargic 1-1 draw against Al Tai. The Mecca based club has looked zapped of their creativity and has subjected their fans to amateurish defending at times. On Monday, their defensive errors could cost them seriously.

Injuries haven’t helped the club either. Mohammed Al-Qarni sustained a muscle injury in early February and is still recovering from the blow. He is unlikely to feature for Al Wehda against Karim Benzema’s team on Monday.

Predicted Lineups: 

Here are the predicted Al Ittihad vs Al Wehda lineups

Al Ittihad Expected XI:

Abdullah Al-Mayouf (GK), Saad Al-Mousa, Ahmed Hegazy (C), Hassan Kadesh, Madallah Al-Olayan, N’Golo Kanté, Fabinho, Faisal Al-Ghamdi, Romarinho, Karim Benzema, Abderrazzak Hamdallah

Al Wehda Expected XI:

Monir El Kajoui (GK), Saeed Al Muwallad, Óscar Duarte, Jawad El Yamiq, Islam Ahmed Hawsawi, Waleed Bakshween (C), Fayçal Fajr, Abdulaziz Noor, Ala’a Al-Hejji, Vito van Crooij, Odion Ighalo

Head-to-Head Record:

Al Ittihad have absolutely dominated the fixture in recent years. The Jeddah-based club has won all of the last five ties between the two clubs. The two clubs have played a total of 24 matches against each other till now. Till now, Al Ittihad has won 17 games and 3 matches have ended in a draw. Odion Ighalo’s Al Wehda has won the fixture 4 times. Al Ittihad have scored 45 goals against Al Wehda till now, while the club from Mecca has scored 22 goals. It is safe to say that Al Ittihad vs Al Wehda is always an entertaining tie. 

Last five results:

• Al Wehda 0-3 Al Ittihad:- Saudi Pro League – 28 August, 2023
• Al Wehda 1-2 Al Ittihad:- Saudi Pro League – 10 April, 2023
• Al Ittihad 1-0 Al Wehda:- Saudi Pro League – 16 October, 2022
• Al Ittihad 4-2 Al Wehda:- Saudi Pro League – 5 March, 2021
• Al Wehda 1-2 Al Ittihad:- Saudi Pro League – 6 December, 2020

Prediction:

Al Ittihad enters the contest at home with all the weapons necessary to decimate a defensively weak Al Wehda. With the return of Karim Benzema and midfielder N’Golo Kante, the squad is even stronger than before for Al Ittihad. Al Ittihad should comfortably win the contest, bar any surprises. 

Predicted Score: Al Ittihad 2-0 Al Wehda

Al Ittihad vs Al Wehda Betting Tips and Odds:

Bookmakers expect Al Ittihad to win the game easily.

• Al Ittihad win: 1.34
• Draw: 4.95
• Al Wehda win: 7.55

Odds Source: Oddspedia.com

Bookmaker: 1XBET

Where to watch Al Ittihad vs Al Wehda:

• India: Sony Liv, Sony Sports Network
• Saudi Arabia: Saudi Sports Company (SSC)
• United Kingdom: DAZN
• USA: fuboTV, Fox Sports

Also Read: Al Shabab vs Al Nassr Preview, Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips