gThe Roshn Saudi League returns to action starting Thursday evening with leaders Al Hilal taking on third-placed Al Taawoun and champions Al Ittihad starting life without Nuno Espirito Santo against Abha, the highlight fixtures of the weekend.
Al Raed vs Al Shabab
Key Stat
Bottom club Al Raed are desperate to halt a run of eight straight winless games in the RSL. However, they did pick up a morale-boosting point away at Al Ettifaq on matchday 12. Their last victory in the league came in a 3-0 win over Al Riyadh back on the 28th of August.
Players to Watch
Karim El Berkaoui - Al Raed:
The Moroccan is the leading scorer for Al Raed with three goals and has two goals in his last five RSL games.
Kim Seung-gyu - Al Shabab:
After an impressive performance in the 1-0 win over Al Ittihad, the South Korean keeper will be eyeing back-to-back clean sheets for the first time this season.
Did you Know?
Al Shabab are undefeated in their last six RSL encounters against Al Raed winning four and drawing twice with the Buraidah-based outfit.
Carlos Junior's first RSL goal of the season helped Al Shabab beat Al Ittihad ⚽🇧🇷#yallaRSL pic.twitter.com/BPM8gZDcA7
— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) November 7, 2023
Al Khaleej vs Al Tai
Key Stat
Al Khaleej and Al Tai faced each other for the first time in the RSL last season, Al Tai won 3-0 at home and drew 2-2 away at Al Khaleej.
Players to Watch
Mohamed Sherif – Al Khaleej:
After showing glimmers of quality last week Sherif will be the man to watch for Al Khaleej. The Egyptian striker has only scored once in the RSL this season but it was a fine individual effort against Al Shabab.
Rakan Shamlan – Al Tai:
The Saudi Arabian has scored twice in his last two RSL games. Both of his goals came from only two shots on target and the winger has not produced any other shots in the RSL this season.
Did you know?
Al Khaleej has only scored once in their last five RSL games, that was a flicked header from Argentine defender Lisandro Lopez in the 1-1 draw with Al Taawoun on Matchday 11. The team from Saihat has yet to register a home victory in the RSL this season.
Al Riyadh vs Al Fateh
Key Stat
This will be the first-ever encounter between Al Riyadh and Al Fateh in the RSL.
Players to Watch
Saleh Al Abbas – Al Riyadh:
The Saudi Arabian attacker has provided four goals and two assists in 11 RSL games this campaign. One more goal will see Al Abbas register his best ever scoring return in his professional career.
Cristian Tello – Al Fateh:
The former Barcelona striker has four goals in his last five RSL outings this season and is currently ranked seventh in the goal-scoring charts.
Did you know?
Al Riyadh are targeting back-to-back home wins in the RSL for the first time in their history following their 1-0 win over Al Ettifaq in gameweek 10.
Damac vs Al Ahli
Key Stat
Damac have the better of Al Ahli of late and are unbeaten against the side from Jeddah in their last five RSL games (W3 D2 L0).
Players to Watch
Georges-Kevin N'Koudou – Damac:
N'Koudou has carried the ball for 1956 meters this season (the second highest in the RSL) and provided six goals and two assists so far for Damak.
Gabri Veiga – Al Ahli:
The highly rated Spanish youngster will be looking to build after scoring his first-ever RSL goal in matchweek 11.
Did you know?
Damac manager Cosmin Contra has not lost in his previous two matches against Al Ahli in the RSL. That came during his time as a coach of Al Ittihad.
Al Hilal vs Al Taawoun
Key Stat
Al Hilal’s current streak of not losing in their last 14 matches (W12 D2) is the longest ongoing streak in the RSL.
Players to Watch
Aleksandar Mitrovic – Al Hilal:
The Serbian attacker is looking to score in a fourth consecutive RSL game. The last Hilal player to complete the feat was Odion Ighalo between March - April 2023.
Moussa Barrow – Al Taawoun:
The Wolves have scored the most goals from counter-attacks in the RSL this season. With Barrow scoring two goals on the breakaway, the pace and guile of the Gambian will be needed if Al Taawoun are to pull off a famous win.
Did you know?
Al Taawoun has the lowest win percentage against Al Hilal in the RSL (11.5%) and the Wolves have lost to Al Hilal more than any other team in the competition (19).
Al Ittihad vs Abha
Key Stat
Defending champions Al Ittihad have parted with Nuno Espirito Santo after not winning in their last five matches in the RSL (D3 L2). They have not failed to win in six consecutive matches since December 2019 - January 2020 (D4 L2) under Henk ten Cate.
Players to Watch
Abderrazak Hamdallah - Al Ittihad:
The Moroccan has bagged seven goals in six matches against Abha in the RSL and will be desperate to find the back of the net again on Friday evening.
Karl Toko Ekambi – Abha:
A late winner from the Cameroon international handed Abha a vital 3-2 win against Al Okhdood in matchweek 12. Ekambi will be looking to add to his four goals in the RSL against the defending champions.
Did you know?
There has never been a draw in a match between Al Ittihad and Abha in the RSL! (Al Ittihad won 7, Abha won 3). Al Ittihad are currently on a five-game winning streak in the fixture.
Al Okhdood vs Al Hazem
Key Stat
This will be the first encounter between Al Okhdood and Al Hazem in the RSL.The two teams faced each other in the last season in the First Division and Al Hazm prevailed in both matches winning 1-0.
Players to Watch
Andrei Burca - Al Okhdood:
Burca scored a stunner last time out against Abha, but it wasn't enough as Al Okhdood fell to a 3-2 defeat. The Romanian defender leads the scoring charts for his club and will be eyeing a fourth goal of the campaign against Al Hazem.
Toze – Al Hazem:
Portuguese midfielder Toze has contributed 3 goals and 4 assists to date in the RSL and the former Porto playmaker will have to contribute if Al Hazem are to get the better of their relegation rivals.
Did you know?
Al Okhdood have yet to earn a point this season in six Roshn Saudi League contests at home, scoring two goals and conceding 11.
Al Fayha vs Al Ettifaq
Key Stat
Al Ettifaq has never lost a game to Al Fayha in the RSL (W6 D4). Al Ettifaq have won the last three encounters with Al Fayha and not conceded a goal in that time.
Players to Watch
Henry Onyekuru - Al Fayha:
Onyekuru played a decisive role as Al Fayha came back to secure a point at Al Tai last time out. The tricky Nigerian attacker has registered three goals and two assists this season and is primed to make an impact against Al Ettifaq.
Demarai Gray – Al Ettifaq:
The Jamaican winger scored the winner the last time Ettifaq registered a win in the RSL. With striker Moussa Dembele a long-term injury absentee, Steven Gerrard will be hoping that Gray can step up in front of goal.
Did you know?
Al Ettifaq’s win percentage decreased to 25% in the absence of their striker Moussa Dembele from the last four matches of the team in the RSL compared to 63% when he participated in the first eight matches.
Al Wehda vs Al Nassr
Key Stat
Cristiano Ronaldo scored four goals when the two teams last met in the RSL back in February 2023.
Players to Watch
Abdulaziz Noor - Al Wehda:
Noor changed the game for Al Wehda last time out, coming off the bench and grabbing a second-half brace to hand the Mecca side a first win in their last five RSL outings.
Aymeric Laporte – Al Nassr:
Laporte registered his first RSL goal last week against Al Khaleej. The former Man City defender has yet to taste defeat in his nine starts for Al Nassr in the RSL.
Did you know?
Anderson Talisca is looking to reach 50 goals in the RSL (currently 48). If he succeeds in doing so he will become the third player in Al Nassr’s history to score 50+ goals in the league behind Mohammed Al Sahlawi 103 & Abderrazak Hamdallah 77.
