AFC Champions League
Two goals in four minutes early in the first half sent the 2004 and 2005 champions on their way to a well-deserved victory in their Group C clash, with Haroune Camara and Romarinho on target in the opening 15 minutes to break AGMK’s resistance. Romarinho then slotted home a penalty three minutes from the break to confirm the points.
Santo said his players executed their gameplan perfectly as Al Ittihad marked their return to the group stage of the continenal showpiece for the first time since 2015.
"We started very well, pressed well and scored two goals. We reached their goal several times and were in full control in the first half.
“In the second half, we focused on retaining possession, and controlled the tempo of the match.," said Santo.
#ACL - Group C | Al Ittihad (KSA) 3-0 AGMK FC (UZB)
Al Ittihad's intensity dropped in the second half but Santo wasn't overly concerned.
"It is natural and expected that physically we slowed down a bit as the game went on. We have an important match in the league against Al Fateh on Thursday and now we have to recover well to be ready for it.
“In football, it happens that your level varies during the game. Sometimes, when you have a comfortable lead and you are in control, the players relax a little bit, and that is something we need to work on in the future."
Missing from the squad named for the tie at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium was Karim Benzema with Santo saying the French striker was left out as a precaution.
"Benzema was ready to play as you saw in the pre-match press conference, but he felt some discomfort in the final training session so we preferred to rest him, it is nothing serious.
“[Abderrazak] Hamdallah is in the hospital now. He injured his shoulder and we don’t know how long will he be out for.
“[Igor] Coronado is recovering gradually, alongside other injured players, but we don’t have specific dates for their return."
Up next for Al Ittihad in the AFC Champions League are Sepahan FC on October 2. The Islamic Republic of Iran side kicked off their campaign with a 2-2 draw against Iraq's Air Force Club.
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