DUBAI: Al-Ittihad have failed to secure a victory in their first two matches of the AFC Champions League Elite for the second season running, after suffering a 2-1 defeat against the UAE’s Shabab Al-Ahli on Tuesday at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah. The loss in the second round of the West Zone group stage marked Al-Ittihad’s first defeat in this season’s continental competition, following a 1-1 draw with Al-Shamal of Qatar in the opening round. This mirrors last year’s scenario, where they also failed to win in their first two matches, suffering consecutive defeats against Al-Wahda of the UAE (2-1) and compatriots Shabab Al-Ahli (1-0). On Tuesday in Jeddah, Al-Ittihad trailed Shabab Al-Ahli early in the first half, conceding two goals from Sardar Azmoun in the seventh and 16th minutes. After the break, the Saudi club managed to reduce the deficit through Colombian midfielder Richard Rios in the 66th minute, but the goal was not enough to salvage any points from the match. The loss to Shabab Al-Ahli leaves Al-Ittihad in 11th place, out of 16 teams, with one point after two rounds of the AFC Champions League Elite, while the Emirati victors sit in fourth with a maximum of six points from two matches.