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Al-Ittihad host Al-Taawoun at the King Abdullah Sports City on Thursday for matchday two of the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League season. Having scraped through to a narrow 1-0 win last weekend, the People's Club are looking to make it two wins from two.
Against the promoted Al-Kholood, who are even making their top-flight debut this season, Laurent Blanc's side were headed for a lowly 0-0 stalemate after struggling to break down their spirited hosts.
But in the fourth minute of added time, former Lyon star Houssem Aouar popped up with a winner for Al-Ittihad, who secured a thrilling smash-and-grab victory to start their league campaign on a positive note.
With all three points in the bag, the Jeddah outfit sit in fifth place in the Saudi Pro League standings, behind Al-Hilal, Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Ahli and Al-Taawoun, who beat Al-Feiha by an identical scoreline in their league opener.
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In quite similar circumstances, the Wolves also struggled to find a way past their hosts for much of the game, until stoppage time. That's when Abdulfattah Ahmed Mohamed struck for them, deep in the fifth added minute, to secure a late win.
Interestingly, Al-Taawoun had also been reduced to 10 men in the 81st minute after Ibrahim Al-Shoeil was sent off for them.
Al-Ittihad vs Al-Taawoun Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- There have been 31 clashes between the sides in history, with Al-Taawoun winning only eight times and losing on 15 occasions.
- Al-Taawoun are unbeaten in their last three games against Al-Ittihad, although their most recent two encounters have ended in draws: 0-0 in April 2024 and 1-1 in October 2023.
- Al-Ittihad are unbeaten in their last six home games against Al-Taawoun, but won only twice during this run. Their last home loss in the fixture came in March 2018, when the Wolves picked up a 5-3 win.
Al-Ittihad vs Al-Taawoun Prediction
Al-Ittihad are the favorites on paper given their superior quality and experience. Al-Taawoun could opt for a more defensive approach here and seek another clean sheet, but the People's Club should be able to see them off narrowly.
Prediction: Al-Ittihad 2-0 Al-Taawoun
Al-Ittihad vs Al-Taawoun Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Al-Ittihad to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No
