Al-Ittihad lost 1-3 to Keramika Cleopatra in the second round of the Egyptian Premier League at the start of August. The visitors opened their account just before half-time and extended their lead early in the second period, before the hosts pulled one back. A late third for Keramika sealed the result.
Belhadji gave the away side the lead on 45+5 minutes, catching Al-Ittihad flat-footed as the whistle was about to blow. Otaka doubled the advantage on 64 minutes, and Hassan responded for the hosts on 77 minutes. Gradisar put the game beyond doubt with a goal on 79 minutes.
Al-Ittihad had a torrid evening in possession, managing only 39 per cent of the ball. They shot wider more often than they hit the target, with four shots on target against six off, and failed to create anything resembling a clear-cut opportunity. Keramika were more composed, hitting seven shots on target from seven inside the area and registering 1.13 expected goals.
The hosts made six substitutions, while Keramika brought on eight players across the game. I. Mohamed and S. Isaac received yellow cards for Al-Ittihad, while M. Mostafa was booked later on. There were no dismissals.
Al-Ittihad remain bottom of the table with one point from two matches, having drawn their opener and now lost this one. Keramika sit ninth with three points after a win and a defeat. Both sides have played the same number of fixtures, but the gap in confidence between them is already visible.