Attention will centre on wounded Riyadh giants for match-week nine in the 2020\/21 Saudi Professional League.
\nBoth holders Al Hilal and 2018\/19 winners Al Nassr were defeated last time out. The former can, confidently, point to their four-point lead in the standings ahead of Monday\u2019s date with Al Qadsiyah, while a harrowing seventh defeat for the crisis-addled latter \u2013 also against promoted opposition in Al Batin – could see them hit rock bottom.
\nProgress will be eagerly watched by second-placed Al Ahli Jeddah ahead of Tuesday\u2019s clash at stumbling Al Fateh.
\nHere is a rundown, with\u00a0Wyscout\u2019s\u00a0help, of this round\u2019s trio of standout fixtures:
\nAL QADSIYAH V AL HILAL (MONDAY, 18:30)
\nAhmed Abdoh Jaber celebrates Al Wehda’s last-gasp winner v Al Hilal (EPA).
\nAll good things come to an end.
\nPredatory Al Wehda striker Ahmed Abdoh Jaber\u2019s 91st minute smash into the roof of Abdullah Al Jadani\u2019s net from close range caused Hilal to taste top-flight defeat for the first time since August 20. This imperious 11-game run saw 10 wins, seven clean sheets and 23 goals accrued, at the cost of just four let in.
\nIntriguingly for the chasing pack, a 2-0 defeat at Fateh would follow on Thursday in the King\u2019s Cup. This was the first time they\u2019d suffered successive losses since April 2019.
\nIt is now up to Qadsiyah to show whether the visage has, truly, cracked.
\nTunisian supremo Yousef Al Mannai has overseen an assured comeback after a season away, leading his troops to sixth even though their average age is the second lowest on 26.9.
\nMidfielder Hassan Al Amiri is the top-scoring Saudi on four strikes. A direct approach via an attack lit up by Colombian winger Danilo Asprilla has, also, seen them record 106 attempts (fourth most) and 294 dribbles (the most).
\nThey have enough to unsettle and hurt on the counter-attack a measured Al Hilal whose average possession of 64.4 per cent is 6.5 per cent more than anyone else.
\nA return to winning ways for the champions will be hard fought.
\nPrediction: Al Qadsiyah 1-3 Al Hilal
\nAL BATIN V AL NASSR (MONDAY, 16:10)
\nAl Nassr suffering against Al Shabab (EPA).
\nPositives are in short supply at Nassr.
\nRelief from Wednesday\u2019s passage into the King\u2019s Cup quarter-finals is tempered by a grinding return to top-flight duties. The embattled Rui Vitoria is, there, confronted by a four-match winless run, from which only Damac\u2019s continuing travails are preventing them from propping up the entire division.
\n2019 global top scorer Abderrazak Hamdallah has one goal from four appearances, $18 million summer addition Pity Martinez has produced one assist in 319 minutes and South Korea left-back Kim Jin-su\u2019s campaign is likely over because of a serious foot injury less than four months since his heralded arrival from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
\nTeenage attacker Ayman Yahya, one of precious-few positives from this draining season, is also now suffering with an abdominal problem.
\nInto this maelstrom comes the Batin clash.
\nThe reigning Prince Mohammad bin Salman League victors have cut an assured presence, back in the top flight since 2018\/19\u2019s relegation. Jose Garrido\u2019s side have scored the same number of goals as Hilal (13) and let in fewer goals than Ahli (11\/13).
\nSet-piece wizard Youssef El Jebli should be fully fit after he received a knock in the 3-0 Cup triumph versus Abha. The Dutch playmaker produced an assist in Al Faisaly\u2019s 3-2 win against Nassr in March.
\nExpect Nassr\u2019s five-game winless SPL streak to be extended.
\nPrediction: 1-1
\nAL AHLI JEDDAH V AL FATEH (TUESDAY, 20:50)
\nOmar Al Somah (l) should be back for Al Ahli Jeddah (EPA).
\nThe big man is back, for Ahli.
\nOmar Al Somah\u2019s presence in training has lifted spirits after progression up to second place in the SPL was checked by 2-0 defeat to promoted Al Ain in the King\u2019s Cup.
\nThe Syria superstar \u2013 scorer of 172 goals from 196 run-outs in Ahli colours \u2013 will bolster hopes of achieving consistency, beginning with their test versus Fateh. This is essential if Hilal\u2019s, relative, wobble is to be capitalised on.
\nAhli have not won successive matches, in all competitions, since their opening two fixtures. They\u2019ve also recorded four defeats from 10 matches since October 18\u2019s kick-off.
\nImminent opponents Fateh were undefeated in their first three games as they looked poised to build on last term\u2019s great escape, yet they\u2019ve been downed in four of their next six games.
\nMorale will, though, be bolstered by their emphatic Cup victory against Hilal.
\nBut with the SPL\u2019s third-worst defence, Al Somah will be licking his lips.
\nPrediction: Al Ahli Jeddah 2-1 Al Fateh
\nMATCH-WEEK NINE FIXTURES
\nMonday
\n16:10 Al Batin v Al Nassr
\n18:30 Al Qadsiyah v Al Hilal
\n18:55 Al Taawoun v Al Shabab
\n20:50 Al Ittihad v Al Raed
\nTuesday
\n16:40 Damac v Abha
\n18:50 Al Faisaly v Ettifaq
\n19:20 Al Wehda v Al Ain
\n20:50 Al Ahli Jeddah v Al Fateh<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Attention will centre on wounded Riyadh giants for match-week nine in the 2020\/21 Saudi Professional League.
\nBoth holders Al Hilal and 2018\/19 winners Al Nassr were defeated last time out. The former can, confidently, point to their four-point lead in the standings ahead of Monday\u2019s date with Al Qadsiyah, while a harrowing seventh defeat for the crisis-addled latter \u2013 also against promoted opposition in Al Batin \u2013 could see them hit rock bottom.
\nProgress will be eagerly watched by second-placed Al Ahli Jeddah ahead of Tuesday\u2019s clash at stumbling Al Fateh.
\nHere is a rundown, with\u00a0Wyscout\u2019s\u00a0help, of this round\u2019s trio of standout fixtures:
\nAL QADSIYAH V AL HILAL (MONDAY, 18:30)
\nAhmed Abdoh Jaber celebrates Al Wehda\u2019s last-gasp winner v Al Hilal (EPA).
\nAll good things come to an end.
\nPredatory Al Wehda striker Ahmed Abdoh Jaber\u2019s 91st minute smash into the roof of Abdullah Al Jadani\u2019s net from close range caused Hilal to taste top-flight defeat for the first time since August 20. This imperious 11-game run saw 10 wins, seven clean sheets and 23 goals accrued, at the cost of just four let in.
\nIntriguingly for the chasing pack, a 2-0 defeat at Fateh would follow on Thursday in the King\u2019s Cup. This was the first time they\u2019d suffered successive losses since April 2019.
\nIt is now up to Qadsiyah to show whether the visage has, truly, cracked.
\nTunisian supremo Yousef Al Mannai has overseen an assured comeback after a season away, leading his troops to sixth even though their average age is the second lowest on 26.9.
\nMidfielder Hassan Al Amiri is the top-scoring Saudi on four strikes. A direct approach via an attack lit up by Colombian winger Danilo Asprilla has, also, seen them record 106 attempts (fourth most) and 294 dribbles (the most).
\nThey have enough to unsettle and hurt on the counter-attack a measured Al Hilal whose average possession of 64.4 per cent is 6.5 per cent more than anyone else.
\nA return to winning ways for the champions will be hard fought.
\nPrediction: Al Qadsiyah 1-3 Al Hilal
\nAL BATIN V AL NASSR (MONDAY, 16:10)
\nAl Nassr suffering against Al Shabab (EPA).
\nPositives are in short supply at Nassr.
\nRelief from Wednesday\u2019s passage into the King\u2019s Cup quarter-finals is tempered by a grinding return to top-flight duties. The embattled Rui Vitoria is, there, confronted by a four-match winless run, from which only Damac\u2019s continuing travails are preventing them from propping up the entire division.
\n2019 global top scorer Abderrazak Hamdallah has one goal from four appearances, $18 million summer addition Pity Martinez has produced one assist in 319 minutes and South Korea left-back Kim Jin-su\u2019s campaign is likely over because of a serious foot injury less than four months since his heralded arrival from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
\nTeenage attacker Ayman Yahya, one of precious-few positives from this draining season, is also now suffering with an abdominal problem.
\nInto this maelstrom comes the Batin clash.
\nThe reigning Prince Mohammad bin Salman League victors have cut an assured presence, back in the top flight since 2018\/19\u2019s relegation. Jose Garrido\u2019s side have scored the same number of goals as Hilal (13) and let in fewer goals than Ahli (11\/13).
\nSet-piece wizard Youssef El Jebli should be fully fit after he received a knock in the 3-0 Cup triumph versus Abha. The Dutch playmaker produced an assist in Al Faisaly\u2019s 3-2 win against Nassr in March.
\nExpect Nassr\u2019s five-game winless SPL streak to be extended.
\nPrediction: 1-1
\nAL AHLI JEDDAH V AL FATEH (TUESDAY, 20:50)
\nOmar Al Somah (l) should be back for Al Ahli Jeddah (EPA).
\nThe big man is back, for Ahli.
\nOmar Al Somah\u2019s presence in training has lifted spirits after progression up to second place in the SPL was checked by 2-0 defeat to promoted Al Ain in the King\u2019s Cup.
\nThe Syria superstar \u2013 scorer of 172 goals from 196 run-outs in Ahli colours \u2013 will bolster hopes of achieving consistency, beginning with their test versus Fateh. This is essential if Hilal\u2019s, relative, wobble is to be capitalised on.
\nAhli have not won successive matches, in all competitions, since their opening two fixtures. They\u2019ve also recorded four defeats from 10 matches since October 18\u2019s kick-off.
\nImminent opponents Fateh were undefeated in their first three games as they looked poised to build on last term\u2019s great escape, yet they\u2019ve been downed in four of their next six games.
\nMorale will, though, be bolstered by their emphatic Cup victory against Hilal.
\nBut with the SPL\u2019s third-worst defence, Al Somah will be licking his lips.
\nPrediction: Al Ahli Jeddah 2-1 Al Fateh
\nMATCH-WEEK NINE FIXTURES
\nMonday
\n16:10 Al Batin v Al Nassr
\n18:30 Al Qadsiyah v Al Hilal
\n18:55 Al Taawoun v Al Shabab
\n20:50 Al Ittihad v Al Raed
\nTuesday
\n16:40 Damac v Abha
\n18:50 Al Faisaly v Ettifaq
\n19:20 Al Wehda v Al Ain
\n20:50 Al Ahli Jeddah v Al Fateh<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12320"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12320"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12321,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12320\/revisions\/12321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}