Al-Ittihad vs Auckland City Prediction 12.12.2023

• Competition: FIFA Club World Cup
• Date: Tuesday, 12th, December 2023
• Kickoff: 18:00 UTC / 19.00 CET
• Venue: King Abdullah Sports City (Jeddah)

Set to kick off on Tuesday, the 20th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup sees Al-Ittihad eyeing a ticket to the second round as they clash with Auckland City from New Zealand at King Abdullah Sports City.

Al-Ittihad vs Auckland City Betting Tips: BTTS

With the sheer firepower of players of the highest caliber such as Fabinho, N'Golo Kante, and ex-Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema, all of whom have already had the privilege of lifting the FIFA Club World Cup trophy, Al Ittihad is gearing up to etch a deep imprint in the 20th edition of the competition.

In addition to boasting players with exceptional trophy-laden pedigrees, what will particularly serve as a significant boost for the Saudi champions is the fact that this year's Club World Cup is taking place right in their hometown, Jeddah.

Despite having all these favorable factors in their favor, the Tigres have fallen short of meeting the expectations of their fan base in the current season, bidding farewell to the title contention after the first phase of the league, and now facing a 16-point deficit behind the table-toppers Al-Hilal following a 1-3 defeat against Damac last Thursday.

The midweek disappointment for Al-Ittihad was not only another step back in their Saudi Pro League title defence, but extended their run without a clean sheet to eight straight games in all competitions - including conceding at least two in three of their past four home clashes - which clearly indicates the instability of their back line.

Auckland City, the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup "bronze" medalist after triumphing over Cruz Azul in a 5-3 penalty shootout, will attempt to unsettle the formidable Saudi side on their home turf, though it appears unlikely given Oceania's champions have stumbled at the first hurdle in their last four appearances in this tournament.

Furthermore, Albert Riera's squad has been absent from action for over a month, affording them ample time to prepare and, most importantly, mentally recover after concluding their domestic duties on a dismal note, suffering three consecutive defeats, including a 0-2 loss in the NZNL grand finale against Wellington Olympic.

Essentially, their loss in the NZNT trophy playoffs was the first time the men in navy blues couldn't find their way onto the scoresheet after a span of several months, but despite that, they are hopeful of rekindling their goal-scoring touch in the midweek clash against an opponent that has preserved an untouched net in just one of their last seven home matches in Jeddah.

Although miracles are not uncommon in football, there seems to be no doubt about the winner here, as Al Ittihad with Benzema clearly stands as the favorite to advance and set up a clash with Egyptian side Al Ahly. However, given that the defensive line of the Saudi team has proven vulnerable, we expect the New Zealanders to seize the moment of weakness to light up the scoreboard.