Al-Ittihad issued a strong statement ahead of their Saudi Pro League El Clasico against Al-Hilal by beating Saudi First Division side Al-Wehda 8-2 in a friendly.
The match, played at Al-Ittihad’s home ground in Jeddah, came one week before the league leaders welcome their rivals to Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on 10 October 2026.
Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri was the standout performer, scoring a hat-trick in an emphatic victory. Marwan Al-Sahafi added two goals, while Saleh Al-Shehri, Dutch forward Steven Bergwijn and Ahmed Al-Jalidan scored one each.
Al-Ittihad’s official account confirmed the result on 3 October 2026, posting: “Friendly match – Al-Ittihad vs Al-Wehda – full-time, the team wins 8-2.”
The victory came despite the absence of several players away with their national teams during the current international break. Among those missing were Nigeria forward George Ilenikhena and Saudi Arabia defender Hassan Kadesh.
Al-Ittihad will travel to face Al-Hilal knowing that victory would take them to the top of the Saudi Pro League table. They currently sit second on 17 points, one point behind Al-Hilal, who lead the standings.
The Jeddah club are the only side yet to lose in the current Saudi Pro League season. Al-Hilal, meanwhile, have been beaten once, suffering a 2-0 defeat by Neom.
