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Abu Dhabi, UAE – Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia secured their place in the AFC Champions League group stage after defeating Al-Jazira 4-1 in their preliminary round match on Tuesday evening. Both teams entered the match seeking qualification for the group stage. Al-Ittihad then asserted their dominance, scoring four goals to Al-Jazira’s one. Steven Bergwijn scored twice for Al-Ittihad, while Algerian Houssem Aouar added the third. Marwan Al-Sahafi then completed the Saudi team’s four-goal haul. Meanwhile, Brazilian Vinicius Melo scored Al Jazira’s only goal. The match ended with Al Ittihad winning 4-1, securing the Saudi team’s place in the AFC Champions League group stage. فريق الاتحاد يتأهل إلى دور المجموعات ببطولة دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة بعد الفوز على الجزيرة بنتيجة 4-1 شاهد أهداف المباراة ⚽📽️#دوري_أبطال_آسيا_للنخبة#الجزيرة_الاتحاد pic.twitter.com/peqKlxybRM — ADSportsTV (@ADSportsTV) August 11, 2026 AFC Champions League Elite System The AFC Champions League is being held under the new format that was implemented starting two seasons ago. The tournament features 24 teams, 12 from the West Zone and 12 from the East Zone. The top eight teams from each region qualify for the round of 16, which is played in a home-and-away format. They then advance to the final rounds. The final rounds, from the quarter-finals to the final, will be held in a centralized format in Saudi Arabia. Matches will be single-leg ties.