After beating Ronaldo's Al Nassr 4-0, Al Ain outclass another Saudi giant Al Ittihad 4-1 in Jeddah

UAE giants Al Ain continued their impressive run in the AFC Champions League Elite with a commanding 4-1 victory over Saudi Arabian heavyweights Al Ittihad in Jeddah on Monday.

It was another statement victory from Vladimir Ivic's men, who have now won all four of their matches in the competition this season.

The result took Al Ain to the top of the West Region standings with 12 points, while Al Ittihad remained on four points after suffering their third defeat in four matches.

Al Ain take control in first half

Playing at King Abdullah Sports City, Al Ain wasted little time in making their intentions clear.

Alejandro Romero, popularly known as Kaku, opened the scoring in the 17th minute before Rafael Rodrigues doubled the visitors' advantage in the 42nd minute.

The UAE side went into the break with a comfortable 2-0 lead, leaving Al Ittihad with plenty of work to do.

The hosts came out with renewed energy in the second half, and Marwan Al Sahafi pulled one back in the 53rd minute to give the Saudi supporters some hope.

However, that hope lasted just five minutes.

Al Ittihad defender Jan Carlo Simic turned Houssine Rahimi's effort into his own net in the 58th minute, restoring Al Ain's two goal advantage.

Matias Palacios then converted a penalty in the closing stages to complete an emphatic 4-1 victory.

Al Ain making a statement in Asia

What makes Al Ain's campaign particularly impressive is the quality of opposition they have beaten.

The UAE side began their campaign with a stunning 4-0 victory over Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr before defeating Iraq's Air Force Club 4-1.

Al Ain, who won the Asian Champions League in 2024, have collected maximum points from their opening four matches and are establishing themselves as serious contenders once again.

For Al Ittihad, meanwhile, the defeat raises further questions about their continental campaign, with the Saudi side struggling to find consistency.

With four wins from four matches, Al Ain could hardly have asked for a better start to their Asian campaign.