Key Battles: where Qassim Derby will be won and lost

The first Qassim Derby of the 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League takes place on Saturday, when Al Raed host rivals Al Taawoun at King Abdullah Sport City.

Here, we look at where the game could be won and lost, as Buraidah counterparts look to get one over each other.

Ayoub Qasmi v Joao Pedro

An obviously pivotal part of the pitch comes in and around the penalty area, and so the battle between Qasmi and Pedro should go some way to deciding the outcome of the derby.

Morocco’s Qasmi has been an integral component of Odair Hellmann’s defence since joining Al Raed in the summer from FUS Rabat. The central defender has featured nine times in the RSL, even if he ranks some way down his team’s statistics for tackles, in eighth place with 10.

It perhaps betrays Qasmi’s expert reading of the game, something that will be very useful in direct confrontation with Al Taawoun’s Pedro. The Brazilian may have only two league goals from 11 games this season, but he is a proper presence up front whose physique and subsequent hold-up play allows him to bring others into the game.

Mohammed Al Dossary v Musa Barrow

One such colleague to benefit from Pedro’s team play is Barrow, who has been in red-hot form during the past month. The Gambia forward has six RSL goals this campaign, matching already his total tally for last season.

That four of those came between Matchweek 6 and Matchweek 10 illustrates Barrow’s recent rude health, even if there is one stat that shows how he could be even further up the division's scoring charts: he ranks fourth in the 2024-25 RSL for big chances missed, with six.

As an attacker who plays predominantly from the left for Al Taawoun, Barrow will most often have to find a way past Al Raed right-back Al Dossary. The Saudi defender has become a stalwart in the team’s back-line for the past five seasons, and his talent and tenacity is evidenced by the fact he sits inside the top 10 this season in the league for tackles (30) and third at Al Raed in minutes played (895).

Amir Sayoud v Ashraf El Mahdioui

This head-to-head really does whet the appetite, since it throws up two hugely crucial components to the respective side’s chances of success.

Sayoud is one of Al Raed’s most creative players, the Algerian usually forming a potent frontline alongside fellow North Africans Karim El Berkaoui and Mohammed Fouzair. The latter, though, has missed the past three league matches through injury. Sayoud has continued to perform in his absence and has three goals and four assists in 10 RSL appearances this term.

Usually anchoring the Al Taawoun midfielder, Mahdioui has therefore a major role to play in shackling Sayoud. The Dutch destroyer’s value to his team is obvious: he has played the most minutes of any outfield player (956) while he ranks first in ball contacts (957), second in fouls (13) and third in tackles (25).

Karim El Berkaoui v Andrei Girotto

Sayoud’s link-up with El Berkaoui has been one of the main reasons Al Raed sit only one point behind eight-placed Al Taawoun. The Moroccan leads in more ways than one for his side; he is both the team’s highest scorer in this season’s RSL, with four goals, while he has recently taken the captain’s armband in Fouzair’s absence.

In fact, El Berkaoui’s four goals from only nine shots depicts a forward who knows his craft. That 44% conversion rate is second only to Al Khaleej striker Abdullah Al Salem, who has seven goals from 15 shots (conversion rate 47%).

Girotto, then, will have to be at his dependable best to snuff out the Al Raed captain. The Brazilian, in his second season at Al Taawoun, has been a rock at the back, playing the second most minutes this term of any outfield player in the squad (900), while he is out in front by some distance when it comes to clearances, with 35.

Girotto's ability to operate at centre-back or defensive midfield underlines his expert reading of the game.

Meshari Sunyur v Mailson

Ok, ok, so it’s not quite two players coming up against one another directly on the pitch, but for sure the opposing goalkeepers will have a significant impact on the result on Saturday.

Sunyur has been one of the finds of the 2024-25 RSL season, starring on debut at Al Nassr in the opening matchweek and then cementing his place as Al Raed’s No.1. The young Saudi has played the second-most RSL minutes at the club thus far this campaign (900), while his 43 saves trails only Al Riyadh’s Milan Borjan.

In the opposite goal, Sunyur finds a supreme shot-stopper with substantially more experience in Mailson. The Brazilian has played more minutes this season than any of his teammates (990), while his four clean sheets is fewer than only Al Ittihad’s Pedrag Rajkovic (five) and Al Qadsiah’s Koen Casteels (six).