AFC Champions League - Jeddah National VS Gharaffa: The defending champion fell into a slump and faced defeat.

In the 5th round of the Saudi Arabian League, Jeddah Nationals drew 1:1 at home with the underdog Riyadh Youth. They have only won 1 game in the past 5 games in all competitions, and have 3 draws and 1 loss in the other 4 games.

In the league, Jeddah National has 5 games, 2 wins, 3 draws and 9 points, ranking eighth in the Saudi League standings, 6 points behind the top Riyadh Victory. With such results, it is estimated that there is no hope of competing for the championship.

As the defending champion of the AFC Champions League Elite League, Jeddah National's record in the new season is not bad. They defeated Nasaf 4:2 at home in the first round and drew 2:2 away from Qatar's powerful Duhail in the second round.

In the third round, Jeddah Nationals will face another Qatari team, Gharrafa, at home.

Jeddah National VS Gharaffa

Nature of the match: Round 3 of the West Asia Region of the AFC Champions League Elite League

Match time: October 21, 2:15

This game is a key battle in the AFC Champions League group stage for both sides. Jeddah National is currently ranked eighth in the Saudi League, and the team's overall performance has been unstable recently.

Gaara's Law is showing a different situation. This Qatar League team is currently ranked third in the standings, and its performance at the start of the new season is remarkable. However, the team's away performance was worrying, which cast a shadow over their trip to Saudi Arabia.

Jeddah Nationals have 1 win, 3 draws and 1 loss in the past five games in all competitions. However, the team has recently suffered two consecutive draws in the AFC Champions League and Saudi Arabia. In the last round of the league, it was tied 1-1 by Riyadh Youth at home, although the opponent was sent off in the 77th minute.

The home court is a relatively reliable place for Jeddah National to score points - they have achieved 1 win and 2 draws in 3 league home games this season and remain unbeaten. However, the team's home winning rate is only 33.3%, which to a certain extent limits their ranking improvement.

Jeddah National's defensive performance is relatively good - they are the second-best defensive team in the Saudi League, conceding only 0.8 goals per game. However, the offensive performance is mediocre, with only 7 goals scored so far this season, averaging 1.4 goals per game.

Gharafa has performed well overall this season and currently has 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss in six league games. After winning two consecutive games in Qatar United and the AFC Champions League, they lost 0:1 at home to Alcor in the Qatar Crown Prince Cup.

However, Gharaffa's away performance is an obvious weakness - in the past three league away games, they have won one game, drawn one and lost one game each, and the team's winning rate in away games is only 33.3%. In the first 4 away games this season, they had 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses, and their performance was unsatisfactory.

Gharafa’s offensive performance deserves recognition. He scored a total of 11 goals in six league games this season, and the average number of goals per game remained at 1.83. On the defensive end, the performance was quite satisfactory, conceding an average of 1.17 goals per game.

Historical confrontation data is more favorable to the Jeddah Nationals. In the past 6 meetings between the two sides, Jeddah National has 3 wins and 3 draws and is undefeated. In the last two matches between the two sides in various competitions, Jeddah Nationals defeated their opponents and won the games, including defeating Gharaffa 4:2 at home in the 8th round of the West Asia Division of the AFC Champions League Elite League last season.

In this battle, the Jeddah Nationals playing at home are worth looking forward to.