Al-Ittihad reach AFC Champions League Elite league stage with emphatic Al Jazira win

Al-Ittihad secured their place in the AFC Champions League Elite league stage with a convincing 4-1 victory over United Arab Emirates side Al Jazira in the qualifying round on Tuesday.

Steven Bergwijn scored twice in the opening 38 minutes to put the Saudi Arabian club in control before Houssem Aouar and substitute Marwan Al-Sahafi added further goals after the break.

Bergwijn opened the scoring in the 12th minute when he met a looping cross inside the penalty area and struck a powerful finish into the net.

The Netherlands international doubled Al-Ittihad’s advantage six minutes before half-time. After receiving the ball inside the box, he found the far left corner of the goalkeeper’s goal with a precise finish.

Al-Ittihad extended their lead nine minutes into the second half. Houssem Aouar scored in the 54th minute to leave Al Jazira facing a difficult task to recover.

Marwan Al-Sahafi then made an immediate impact after coming off the bench, scoring the Saudi club’s fourth goal in the 69th minute, only four minutes after his introduction.

Al Jazira did manage to score once, with Simon Banza finding the net in the 80th minute, but the goal could not change the outcome.

The result makes Al-Ittihad the fifth Saudi Arabian club to feature in the league stage of the AFC Champions League Elite. They join Al Ahli, Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Qadsiah in the competition.

The tournament will feature 32 clubs, divided equally between the western and eastern regions. Sixteen teams will compete in each side of the draw.

The draw for the league stage is scheduled to take place on 18 August. Al-Ittihad will be placed in the fourth pot.

The 32 teams will be separated into four pots, with four clubs in each pot. Every side will play eight matches during the league stage, comprising four at home and four away.

Each club will face one team from each of the four pots in home and away fixtures. Al-Ittihad’s emphatic win over Al Jazira means they can now prepare for that schedule and their return to the leading stage of Asian club football.