Wijnaldum rescues Al-Ittihad with late equaliser in AFC Champions League Elite opener

Jorginho Wijnaldum scored his first goal for Al-Ittihad in stoppage time to prevent the Saudi side from suffering their first defeat of the season against Al Shamal in the AFC Champions League Elite.

The two teams drew 1-1 in their opening league-stage match on Monday at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.

Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedjah put Al Shamal ahead in the 63rd minute. He received a low pass inside the Al-Ittihad penalty area before striking with his left foot, with the ball taking a deflection off the defence on its way past Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic.

Al-Ittihad were facing defeat until Wijnaldum, introduced as a second-half substitute, levelled in added time. The Netherlands midfielder met a low cross from compatriot Steven Bergwijn and guided it into the net with a composed finish.

The result extended Al-Ittihad’s unbeaten start to the season. They have played seven matches in the Saudi Pro League, recording five wins and two draws, leaving them second in the table on 17 points, one behind leaders Al Hilal.

They have also won their King’s Cup round-of-32 tie against Al Najma and their AFC Champions League Elite preliminary-round match against United Arab Emirates side Al Jazira. That leaves Al-Ittihad unbeaten after 10 matches.

For Al Shamal, the draw meant they missed the chance to claim a historic victory. It would have been the club’s first win in the history of the AFC Champions League Elite, in their first appearance in the competition.

The point left Al Shamal and Al-Ittihad third and fourth respectively in the West group standings, with both sides on one point as they await the remaining matches from the opening round.

The match also marked Wijnaldum’s first goal since joining Al-Ittihad, although it was Bounedjah’s opener that gave Al Shamal the advantage for much of the contest.

Al-Ittihad’s unbeaten record was therefore preserved by their new midfielder’s late intervention, while Al Shamal had to settle for a point after coming within minutes of a notable result in their first AFC Champions League Elite fixture.