From the womb of struggle: can Facchin repeat the 'green miracle' with Al-Ittihad?

Al-Ittihad were not tipped to be one of the standout champions of the new season. They entered the competition amid plenty of question marks after Frenchman Karim Benzema left for Al-Hilal, with administrative changes and financial restrictions keeping "the Dean" out of the race for the major signings chased by clubs such as Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah.

What first looked like a crisis threatening Al-Ittihad's season slowly became an opportunity to build a different team. The club chose to place its trust in German Jens Wissing, a 38-year-old who lacked the big name or the coaching CV to make him the fans' first choice.

Just weeks later, Wissing began proving that names and budgets alone don't make a strong team. He gave Al-Ittihad a clear identity and personality on the pitch. His latest victims were Al-Nassr and their stars led by Cristiano Ronaldo, in a Clasico that "the Dean" settled 2-1.

Fencing: the decision that turned the tables

The German coach didn't try to paper over the loss of his stars by signing another. Instead he built a collective system that lives on working and moving as a single unit. It showed clearly against Al-Nassr, when Al-Ittihad pressed high from the off and struck twice inside the first 22 minutes.

Vessing pulled this off without matching his rivals for spending or the pull of big names. He simply drew the best out of his players within a clear system.

Read also: A new curse: Vessing, Al-Nassr's terrifying "nightmare" in 112 days

Nor was the win over Al-Nassr his first in a short space of time. He had already beaten "the global club" with Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final last May.

Has a new Ittihad miracle begun?

Here emerges the idea of the "green miracle" created by Al-Ahli with the German Matthias Jaissle, when the team managed to be crowned champions of the AFC Champions League twice in succession despite the presence of clubs bigger than it in terms of spending and resources.

Vissing cannot be compared with Jaissle just yet. The former is still at the start of his journey. But the similarity lies in the ability of a young coach to build a strong team in far from ideal conditions, which makes the question a fair one: can Vissing repeat Al-Ahli's story with Al-Ittihad?

Talk of titles or miracles is premature. What is certain, though, is that Al-Ittihad, tipped by many to endure a difficult season, have begun to look like a completely different side. Give Vissing the support and the patience, and the deal that first looked like a forced solution could become a decision that builds a new project within "Al-Ameed".