Derby of Wits: Jaissle's Calculated Masterclass Stuns Ittihad in the Jeddah Showdown

The Jeddah derby between Al Ahli and Al Ittihad ended 1-0 on Saturday night, in the eighth round of the Roshen Pro League, as the home side took the spoils through a blend of discipline and opportunism.

Surprising Start

The match began with an unexpectedly cautious tempo from both teams, with defenses flooding the middle and chances drying up early. Al Ahli set up in a 4-1-4-1, while Al Ittihad pinned itself to a 4-2-3-1 that sometimes shifted into the classic 4-4-2 to choke the spaces for the (Raqi).

There was little danger in the opening period as both sides closed down build-up plays and denied width, nullifying the typical pace of the wings and forcing turnovers high up the pitch.

Coach Sergio Conceicao started with Awad Al-Nashri anchoring the midfield, aiming to tilt the balance toward the right flank where Riyad Mahrez and the left winger Goncalves would probe, while hoping for support from the center with Mousa Diaby acting further up the field if needed.

Meanwhile, Matthias Jaissle trusted Ali Majrashi and Mohammed Bakr to shield the right and central zones, trying to blunt the two most dangerous routes for the visitors’ attack and compact the spaces behind the ball.

Gonsalves, the Brazilian winger for Al Ahli, found little room to influence the game early on as the Ittihad defense stayed disciplined and compact, forcing the hosts to seek openings from deeper build-up rather than out wide.

With the game still scoreless, the tactical contours of the derby began to crystallize: a patient, screen-and-counter approach from Al Ahli, and a defense-first blueprint from Ittihad that looked to strike on the break once the ball reached the wider channels. The tempo stayed deliberate and the intensity remained high, but the decisive moment had yet to arrive.

Conceicao's Mistakes

Conceicao’s lineup decisions came under the microscope as the first-half wore on. Omitting Mohammed Doumbia from the central midfield left the team with questionable ball progression and a thinner spine to compress play under pressure.

The absence of Doumbia, coupled with Fabinho’s absence due to suspension, limited Ittihad’s ability to circulate and relieve the pressure. The Portuguese coach also leaned on Moussa Diaby on the left for a longer spell than ideal, which kept the right flank less dynamic and deprived the attack of a sharper outlet on the switch of play.

Further, Conceicao’s decision not to bring on an additional midfielder or a more penetrative forward early in the second half restricted Ittihad from lifting the lines when Al Ahli pressed higher up the pitch. The side’s distribution and decision-making under pressure waned, contributing to a growth in frustration as the game progressed.

On paper, the choices looked solid, but the execution failed to unlock a stubborn Al Ahli defense. The mental acuity to adjust mid-game, which often separates winners from runners-up, was not enough to flip the balance this time around.

Jaissle's Cleverness

Jaissle’s team showed a different kind of intelligence: disciplined shape, ruthless efficiency on the counter, and a willingness to adapt without throwing caution to the wind. While the defense held firm, Al Ahli’s pressing line was measured, designed to force errors rather than run all day at a tiring opponent.

The decisive moment arrived when Franck Kessié delivered a precise cross into the heart of the box and Riyad Mahrez finished with composure, breaking the deadlock in a moment that underscored the value of patience and late decisiveness in a derby.

With the lead secured, Jaissle reshaped the lines to a compact 4-5-1 to blunt Ittihad’s acceleration and to deny space for quick counterattacks. Substitutions reinforced the plan, and the entire unit limited the visitors’ attacking options late on, effectively sealing the outcome.

In summary, the result reflects a night where strategic restraint, smart positioning, and a single moment of quality outweighed a slight edge in ball retention by Ittihad. Al Ahli’s 16 points keep them in the chase for the upper-half, while Ittihad’s 11 points leave them with work to do in the coming fixtures.

Punchline 1: If football were a sniper’s sport, Jaissle just tagged the target with surgical precision—the cross found the right man, right on time.

Punchline 2: And if defense ever retired, the rest of the league would need a map—this Derby proved that good defense can still be a VIP pass to a clean sheet.