The Race For Survival: How Things Are Looking For The Saudi Pro League Sides Battling to Avoid Relegation
With Al Hazem already out of the race, the Saudi Pro League is witnessing a fierce battle for survival among four teams. Al Riyadh (31 points), Al Tai (31 points), Al Okhdood (29 points), and Abha (29 points) are all vying to stay afloat by securing positive results in their upcoming fixtures.
Leading the pack is Al Riyadh, who are in 14th place with 31 points, only ahead of Al Tai by goal difference (-25 to -26). With an in-form Al Nassr up next, Al Riyadh will be in a challenging position to get the maximum points from that fixture. On the final day, they will travel to 11-placed Al Khaleej, a fixture likely to be a must-win if they are to secure their place in the top flight.
Fifteenth-placed Al Tai are in a similar predicament, with the unbeaten Al Hilal up next. An inspired performance from Bernard Mensah secured a win against Al Fateh on matchday 32, pulling Al Tai out of the relegation position. With fellow relegation candidates Al Okhdood being their matchday 34 opponent, Al Tai will favor their chances of avoiding the drop.
On matchday 33, 16th-placed Al Okhdood will face an out-of-form Al Wehda. They almost secured three points against Al Ettifaq on matchday 32, but a late equalizer reduced that to a solitary point. Ben Zekri will hope to pull off another survival act like he did for Al Raed, Al Fayha, and Damac.
The last entry on the list is Abha, who appointed Pitso Mosimane, hoping the accomplished South African coach would guide them to safety. They have only lost once at home in the last eight matches and hope to keep their impressive home record going against Al Khaleej on matchday 33. Should they fail to secure a win in that match, a favorable fixture against already-relegated Al Hazem awaits them on the season’s final day.
With Al Hilal having maintained a firm grasp on the league title, the intensity of competition in the Saudi Pro League has moved to the relegation zone, and it seems we’ll have a fight on our hands until the final whistle on the last day of the season.
