Jeddah Derby and an Emirati Knot: What November Holds for Al-Ittihad

Al-Ittihad’s November schedule reads like a football rollercoaster across three competitions: the Saudi Pro League, the King Cup, and the Elite Asian Champions League. It’s a month where every match counts and the calendar refuses to press pause.

The team sit eighth in the Saudi Pro League with 10 points, collected from three wins and a single draw, with two defeats handed to them by strong opponents Nasr and Al-Hilal. They have already progressed to the King Cup quarterfinals following a 2-1 win over Nasr in the classic clash of the giants.

On the continental front, Al-Ittihad are seventh in the West group of the Elite Asia after three games, boasting 3 points earned by a victory over Al-Shorta, sandwiching losses to Al-Wahda and Shabab Al-Ahli.

Conceicao's First League Win

The month opens with a test against Al-Khaleej, on Saturday, November 1, at the Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, in the seventh round of the Saudi Pro League. The Gulf side sit seventh with 10 points, one spot and a few goals ahead of Al-Ittihad, making this a fiendishly tight affair.

The Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição will be chasing his first league win after a 1-1 draw with Al-Fayha and a 2-0 defeat to Al-Hilal in the league so far this season.

Historically, Al-Ittihad have not lost to Al-Khaleej in the league in recent campaigns, boasting an eight-win, four-draw return from 12 meetings. The Gulf team, meanwhile, have shown resilience at home, avoiding defeat in their last two league games against Al-Ittihad.

The Emirati Knot

Following that, Al-Ittihad host Sharjah on Tuesday, November 4, at the Al-Inma Stadium, in the fourth round of the Elite Asia group stage. Sharjah are currently sixth in the West group with 4 points, after a 4-3 win over Qatar’s Al-Gharafa and a 1-1 draw with Al-Sadd.

The Emirati side arrive after a heavy 0-5 loss to Tractor in the group stage and will look to cause another upset on the road in Jeddah as they search for a convincing result against the hosts.

Jeddah Derby

Later in November, Al-Ittihad welcome Al-Ahli on November 8 at the Al-Inma Stadium in the Saudi Pro League’s eighth round. Al-Ahli sit fifth with 13 points and, remarkably, remain undefeated this season, having drawn four times, the most in the league this term. The ongoing debate around German coach Matthias Jaissle has added extra pressure ahead of the derby.

Historically, Al-Ahli lead the head-to-head in the league with 12 wins from 26 meetings to Al-Ittihad’s 5, while 9 games have finished in draws.

The upcoming derby could prove pivotal for both teams’ trajectories this season and add an extra edge to a fixture always eager to deliver drama.

With the matchups in mind, November presents a powerful exam for Al-Ittihad’s squad depth and tactical nous, as they balance domestic duty with continental ambitions and a domestic cup run that could redefine their season.

November’s schedule also includes a Saudi Pro League road trip to Riyadh to face Al-Riyadh on November 21, and a challenging Elite Asia trip to Doha to meet Al-Duhail on November 24, before finishing the month with the King Cup Round of 16 against Al-Shabab on November 28. Al-Riyadh currently sit 12th, and Al-Duhail have struggled in Asia this season, making both fixtures potential turning points depending on how the team approaches them.

Al-Duhail’s campaign has been far from smooth, with just one point collected as they sit tenth in the West group, following losses to Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli Jeddah and a 2-2 draw with Al-Ahli. The meeting with Al-Duhail could be decisive for progression to the knockout stages in the Elite Asia.

In the King Cup, Al-Ittihad’s path to the title last season was hard-fought, and this year’s Round of 16 brings another stiff test against Al-Shabab on November 28. Al-Shabab occupy 13th place with six points. They overcame Abha on penalties in the Round of 32 and edged Zulfy 1-0 in the Round of 16. The prospect of a repeat of last season’s dramatic semifinal when Al-Ittihad beat Al-Shabab 3-2 looms large as a source of confidence for the club.

Humor time: If November were a footballer, it would be a winger who never stops sprinting—great at the sprints, terrible at snacks. Punchline two: this schedule is so packed, even the referee needs a calendar app and a spare pair of boots. I kid you not, it’s going to be a month of whistle-happy chaos and tiny locker-room pep talks.