New project and lost patience: Al-Ahli's bitterness threatens Al-Ittihad against Al-Nassr
A fierce battle
The circumstances of Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad are strikingly similar in some respects this season. The Jeddah duo enter a new phase built on injecting fresh blood, changing some personnel and bringing in a different coach.
These new projects, though, are colliding with a factor that looks tougher than any opponent on the pitch: the impatience of fans and media, and the demand for quick results.
While the two Jeddah giants stumble through a spell of confusion, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr keep looking the more stable pair.
Al-Hilal have already beaten Al-Ahli 3-0. A fierce wave of criticism erupted inside "Al-Raqi" afterwards, reaching the management, the coaching staff and some players, while the relationship with the sporting director ended amid the search to rebuild the project from scratch.
Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, face their toughest test of the season so far when they take on Al-Nassr this evening, Saturday, in Matchday 5 of the Roshn League.
Al-Ahly paid the price: Al-Ittihad faces the same scenario
What happened to Al-Ahli could prove a harsh lesson for Al-Ittihad ahead of their clash with Al-Nassr. "Al-Raqi" entered the season with big ambitions. The defeat to Al-Hilal exposed problems that went beyond the result alone, touching the team's image, its identity and the readiness of its players to compete, with calls for changes to the setup growing louder.
Worse still, all of this happened very early. New projects usually need time for their character to take shape, yet the fans look less willing to wait when they see rivals marching forward with steady steps.
Read also: Analysis: Al-Nassr's rockets could stun Al-Ittihad at its point of strength!
Al-Ittihad now face their toughest test. The team is going through almost the same rebuilding phase, with a new technical staff and new names, but the clash with Al-Nassr arrives at a moment that allows no more defeats. Any stumble could trigger the very scenario Al-Ahli have just lived through.
Al-Nassr give Al-Ittihad no chance to escape
Al-Nassr enter the Clasico in a completely different situation. The team are moving at a steady pace, hold a perfect record and are chasing another title. Above all, they've learned exactly how to punish their rivals' slip-ups and pile on the pressure.
A win for "the Global" over Al-Ittihad would be far more than three points. It would land a double blow. Al-Nassr would keep hunting Al-Hilal at the top of the Roshn League, while dragging "the Dean" into the spiral of criticism already haunting Al-Ahli.
Here's the problem. Al-Ittihad face a technically strong side and the weight of comparison at the same time. Every time Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal win, any stumble from Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli looks worse, and every poor result becomes a question about the project itself and the decisions taken before the season.
Al-Ittihad face a test to prove the project
The clash with Al-Nassr, on the other hand, could be the perfect chance for Al-Ittihad to flip the whole picture. Beating Al-Nassr in the Clasico would give "the Dean" more than three points. It would hand them belief and prove the new project can take on the big teams even before reaching full stability.
Victory could also silence, at least for now, the wave of doubt building around the team and some of its officials. It would buy the coaching staff room to work away from the daily pressure, because fans tend to grow more patient once they see results in the matches that matter most.
Defeat is another story entirely. Al-Ittihad could find themselves facing far harsher criticism, perhaps alongside calls to change some administrative and technical figures, particularly with fans already questioning a number of decisions.
A clásico that could shape the next phase
Saturday evening's meeting between Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr carries more weight than a simple clash of two big clubs. Al-Nassr want to keep defending their title and tighten their grip on Al-Hilal. Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, are out to prove their new project needs no years to bear fruit, and that the changes already made can produce a team capable of competing right now.
Victory for Al-Nassr could plunge Al-Ittihad into the same "bitterness of Al-Ahli": a heavy defeat, fan pressure, and growing doubts over the project. Win, and Al-Ittihad answer all those questions in one go.
This Clasico may be the first real test of the patience of Al-Ittihad's fans. It could also be the quickest way to earn it. Either Al-Nassr confirm the two Riyadh giants are on different paths, or Al-Ittihad prove their new project can turn the tables in a single match.
