Al-Shorta — Al-Ittihad Jeddah : Match Preview and Prediction for October 20,2025

Al-Shorta’s Domestic Dominance and Champions League Struggles

Last season, Al-Shorta once again demonstrated their strength in the Iraqi championship, confidently securing the national title. Interestingly, after this triumph, several key players departed the squad. A significant number of foreign players moved on, with Ben Mharek returning to his home league, and Meme relocating to the Emirates after a historic season in his native championship.Al-Shorta themselves started the domestic season with three consecutive victories, highlighting their overwhelming dominance on the national stage. However, their journey in the Champions League has proven to be much tougher. In their opening home match against Al-Saad, they struggled to secure a draw, as their opponents appeared far more dynamic in attack despite their underdog status. The match against Al-Gharafa was a complete disaster; one of Qatar’s top teams seemingly scored two goals out of nowhere against Al-Shorta, and the initial odds of 2.54 for the Iraqi representatives went unconverted.

Al-Ittihad Jeddah’s Recent Triumphs and Current Form

As many are aware, Al-Ittihad were crowned kings last season. They triumphed in the King’s Cup final, following a convincing league championship victory. Crucially, they managed to retain Karim Benzema.However, the team made some powerful transfers before the start of this season, including Roger, Doumbia, and the loan of Simic. Overall, there were many strong strategic decisions. They also made every effort to keep their key players. In the league so far, they have secured three wins in five matches, with the only disappointment being a loss to Al-Nassr in their direct encounter. Offensively, they have no issues, averaging 2.2 goals per match. Nevertheless, their Champions League campaign is already precarious, having suffered two defeats against UAE representatives.