Al-Ahli vs Sundowns: Intercontinental Cup Clash

Al-Ahli step into their Intercontinental Cup clash with South Africa’s Sundowns knowing this is the kind of game that defines a campaign. Not a final, not yet, but a measuring stick. Survive this test, and the Saudi side keep their continental run alive and reclaim momentum. Fall short, and the questions return.

Marino Pusic has read the stakes. His answer is not caution, but calculated risk.

Pusic leans on his stars – and a bold tweak

The core of Al-Ahli’s side stays intact. Edouard Mendy anchors them from goal, with the experience and presence that have become non-negotiable in these high-pressure nights. In front of him, a familiar spine: Roger Ibanez and Merih Demiral at centre-back, the kind of pairing built for duels against a quick, incisive Sundowns front line.

On the flanks, though, comes one of the key storylines. New signing Saeed Bahoya is thrown straight into the fire at right-back, handed his first start in a match that offers no gentle introduction. Zakaria Hawsawi patrols the opposite side, asked to shuttle relentlessly between defence and attack.

This is not rotation for its own sake. It is Pusic trying to find the fine line between control and ambition.

Bahoya and Diaby: the balance bet

The coach’s biggest gamble lies in the middle of the pitch. Ibrahim Diaby partners Valentine Atangana in a double pivot that will spend the night walking a tactical tightrope. Break up Sundowns’ transitions. Absorb their pace. Then, in the same breath, launch Al-Ahli forward.

Pusic is banking heavily on Diaby and Bahoya to tilt the equation in his favour. Sundowns thrive on gaps – between lines, between full-back and centre-back, between a moment of hesitation and a burst of acceleration. If Al-Ahli’s structure bends too often, it breaks. If it holds, those same spaces can be used against the South Africans.

The pressure on Bahoya is obvious. New club, new competition, and a first start against one of the continent’s slickest attacking outfits. His positioning, his timing to join attacks, his recovery runs – all of it will shape how much freedom the front four can enjoy.

The shape: 4-2-3-1 with teeth

On paper, the plan is clear:

• Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy.
• Defence: Zakaria Hawsawi, Roger Ibanez, Merih Demiral, Saeed Bahoya.
• Midfield: Valentine Atangana, Ibrahim Diaby.
• Attack: Francisco Trincao, Galeno, Eduard Spertsyan.
• Centre-forward: Ivan Toney.

A 4-2-3-1, but one that can morph quickly. Atangana and Diaby sit in front of the back four, tasked with screening Sundowns’ runners and giving Al-Ahli a platform to build from. Ahead of them, Francisco Trincao, Galeno and Eduard Spertsyan float behind Ivan Toney, encouraged to roam into pockets, drag markers out of shape and flood the half-spaces.

If it clicks, Toney will not be an isolated reference point. He becomes the finisher at the end of intricate movements, the target for early crosses from Hawsawi and Bahoya, the outlet when Al-Ahli need to go long and reset.

If it doesn’t, the gaps behind those advanced midfielders are exactly where Sundowns will look to strike.

Midfield movement decides everything

This match will not simply be about who has more of the ball. It will be about how quickly Al-Ahli can compress and expand the pitch. When they lose possession, the reaction of Atangana and Diaby, the body shape of the full-backs, the distance between Demiral and Ibanez – all of it will be under the microscope.

Sundowns bring pace and an instinctive feel for exploiting spaces that appear for just a second. Al-Ahli’s expected line-up is built with that in mind. The midfielders must slide across, plug channels, and still find the composure to feed Trincao, Galeno and Spertsyan early enough for them to run at defenders rather than back into them.

Balance is the word that keeps returning. Not as a cliché, but as the central problem Pusic must solve in real time. Too aggressive, and Sundowns race into the gaps. Too passive, and Al-Ahli’s attacking talent spends the night chasing shadows.

This is why the selection feels so deliberate. It is a team designed not just to survive Sundowns’ speed, but to answer it with structure, intelligence and, when the chances come, a ruthless edge in front of goal.

The question now is simple: can this blend of fresh faces and established pillars turn a careful plan into a statement performance on the continental stage?