The coaching staff of Al-Ittihad's first football team, led by Portuguese coach Conceição, has decided to give the players a day off from group training on Monday. This decision comes as a reward for the players' tremendous effort and the resounding victory they achieved against their Emirati counterparts, Gulf United, by a score of 5-0, in the match that took place today, Sunday, concluding their pre-season training camp in Dubai.
Match details and star player performances
The match saw complete dominance by the Tigers, who concluded their pre-season training camp in the best possible way. Veteran French captain Karim Benzema opened the scoring in the 16th minute, confirming his strong return to form. His compatriot Moussa Diaby quickly added a second goal in the 25th minute, highlighting the excellent cohesion among the foreign professionals.
Al-Ittihad continued their attacking pressure, with the flying full-back Muhannad Al-Shanqiti scoring the third goal in the 33rd minute, before Benzema returned to find the net again, scoring the fourth goal and his second personal goal in the 38th minute. The talented young Ahmed Al-Ghamdi completed Al-Ittihad's five-goal haul two minutes before the end of the first half, specifically in the 43rd minute, ending the match with this resounding result.
Gains from the Dubai camp and preparations for the Roshan League
This victory comes as a continuation of the positive results achieved during the Dubai training camp, where Al-Ittihad had already defeated Emirati side Palm City 6-0 in their first friendly match last Wednesday evening. With this win, Al-Ittihad's attack has scored 11 goals in just two matches without conceding a single goal, a very positive indicator reflecting the excellent work being done by the coaching staff to strengthen the defense and revitalize the team's potent attack.
These friendly matches are of paramount importance to the Jeddah-based team, which is striving to get back on track in the Saudi Professional League. Al-Ittihad currently sits in seventh place in the standings with 14 points, a position unworthy of the club's illustrious history and the aspirations of its vast fan base, who eagerly await the team's return to competing for domestic and continental titles.
International absences and an anticipated return
Regarding absences, the team missed the services of Algerian star Houssem Aouar, who was unavailable due to joining his national team's training camp in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament scheduled to begin in Morocco next week. These continental tournaments provide an opportunity for international players to represent their countries, while coaches utilize the international break to prepare substitutes and improve the fitness levels of the rest of the squad.
The team is scheduled to resume training after the rest day, to begin actual preparations for the upcoming official matches, as the coaching staff aspires to take advantage of the high morale and technical readiness that the players reached during the Dubai camp to jump the team’s positions in the Saudi League standings.
