Al Ittihad Aleppo vs Paro Prediction & Betting Tips (23 October)

Al Ittihad Ahli of Aleppo SC and Paro FC meet on Friday, 23 October 2026 at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu in the final matchday of the AFC Challenge League 2026/27 group stage, with everything still on the line for both sides. Paro enter the contest after a heartbreaking 1-2 home defeat to Lebanese side Al Ansar and a 2-2 draw with Turkmenistan's Ahal, results that have left the Bhutanese champions needing a positive outcome to keep their knockout hopes alive. Al Ittihad Ahli, meanwhile, arrive in Bhutan in red-hot form following a commanding 5-1 victory over Ahal, a result that underlines the Syrian side's firepower heading into this decisive clash.

The 2026/27 squads tell an interesting story of ambition on both benches. Paro's roster blends Bhutanese internationals such as captain Gyeltshen Zangpo, Dinesh Gurung and Kinga Wangchuk with a growing foreign contingent including Japanese duo Taiga Kitajima and Yuta Mishima, Gambian forwards Abdoulie Baldeh and Mustapha Jallow, Ghanaian striker Evan Asante and veteran defender Tariq Kazi. Al Ittihad Ahli's squad features an equally cosmopolitan mix, with forwards Anas Dahhan, Ahmad Al Ahmad and Mohamed Koné supported by playmakers like Maicon Souza and Alkhaly Traoré, and a defensive unit anchored by Sori Mané and goalkeeper Shaher Al Shakir.

From a betting perspective, the European odds reflect Al Ittihad Ahli's status as clear favourites, with bookmakers pricing an away win well below even money following their 5-1 demolition of Ahal, while both teams to score is offered at around 3.35 — a number that suggests confidence in the Syrian defence keeping Paro's attack quiet. Paro's home advantage at the altitude of Thimphu and the passionate Changlimithang crowd are factored in, but not enough to shift the market, and the draw is trading at a distant price as punters expect the visitors' superior continental experience to tell over ninety minutes.

Our prediction: Al Ittihad Ahli of Aleppo to win 3-0. The Syrian side's attacking depth, proven at this level, should prove too much for a Paro team that has leaked goals in each of its group matches so far, and a clean-sheet victory would seal top spot and send Al Ittihad Ahli into the knockout rounds with serious momentum. Whatever happens, expect a fiery occasion in Thimphu as the Tigers fight to keep their continental dream alive in front of their twelfth