Aubameyang out to add Eastern Derby to decorated rivalry résumé

As a player with such a storied career that comprises a succession of prominent European clubs, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has significant experience in derby matches.

Be it Le Derby from during his time with AS Saint-Etienne in France, when he would come up against Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes rivals Olympique Lyonnais, or the fiercely contested Ruhr Derby between his Borussia Dortmund and Schalke O4, or the North London Derby, when he competed for Arsenal against bitter foes Tottenham Hotspur, Aubameyang knows what it means to get one over on the arch-enemy.

Some derbies, he has impacted more than others. Predictably, those five, hugely prolific years at Dortmund – Aubameyang scored 98 goals in 144 Bundesliga appearances – yielded his greatest output. The Gabon international struck seven times against Schalke in the German top flight, although his two-goal contribution in November 2017 was overshadowed somewhat by a red card in a 4-4 draw for the ages.

In the English Premier League, Aubameyang managed four goals against Tottenham, including a double in the 4-2 victory at Emirates Stadium in December 2018. A regular thorn in the side of their city neighbours, he also registered four assists in league matches between the two.

On Saturday night, though, Aubameyang will for the first time take part in a club derby outside Europe. Instead of the Emirates, or Signal Iduna Park, or Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, or even Camp Nou where he turned out for Barcelona against Espanyol, or Stade Velodrome where most recently he led the line for Olympique de Marseille against Paris Saint-Germain, the African frontman will be on the east coast of Saudi Arabia.

It is there that Aubameyang is expected to play a principal part in the first Roshn Saudi League Eastern Derby in more than three years. His Al Qadsiah side make the short trip from Al Khobar to Dammam, when he will come up against Al Ettifaq - and familiar faces from his time in England. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard will man the home dugout, while another former Anfield employee, Georginio Wijnaldum, will never be too far from Aubameyang on the pitch.

Al Qadsiah, who have returned to the RSL for the first time since the 2020-21 season, will be eager to make up for lost time. No doubt, rekindling the rivalry with Al Ettifaq represents one of the great attractions of their new-found top-flight status..

And, if Al Qadsiah are to prosper at Al Ettifaq Club Stadium, in the final encounter of the RSL’s inaugural Derby Week, then a hefty chunk of the goal-scoring burden will fall on Aubameyang’s broad shoulders.

Arriving in August following a successful scoring spell in Marseille – he notched 17 goals in last season’s Ligue 1 – the forward missed the opening RSL win against Al Fateh but has since played every game for his new club. He opened his account for Al Qadsiah last month in the King’s Cup round of 32 win against fellow RSL side Al Orobah and, since, has scored three in four RSL outings – including two in the past two.

So, Aubameyang comes into the season’s first Eastern Derby in fine form. His team sit fifth in the RSL at present and know, should they prevail in Matchweek 9’s final fixture, then they will move two points off the top four.

It is those lead positions that Al Qadsiah most probably envisaged muscling in on when they displayed considerable financial might in the summer. Their extensive recruitment included Real Madrid captain Nacho, fresh from lifting a sixth UEFA Champions League with his boyhood club, and then the 2024 European Championship trophy with his country, Spain.

He and Aubameyang were the most eye-catching off-season additions at a newly promoted, and incredibly ambitious, Al Qadsiah. Both know a thing or two about the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a derby.

This weekend, they add another to their respective resumes. Unquestionably, Aubameyang will lean on that experience from France, Germany, England and Spain, in the hope he makes yet another telling contribution to a passionate crosstown confrontation.

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