The King Abdullah Sport City Stadium will be the venue for the clash between the hosts Al Fayha and visitors Al Ahli on Friday in a Saudi Pro League clash, with kickoff slated for 15:50 GMT+1.
Key Highlights
Al Fayha
Al Fayha have had a torrid start to their Saudi Pro League campaign, winning just once in 10 attempts, and collecting just seven points out of a possible 30; they sit third from the bottom and are firmly in the relegation fight early on.
Their form in the last five matches resulted in three draws and two defeats, collecting just three points from 15. In their last four matches, they have scored just twice, conceding five times.
Al Fayha’s manager, Christos Contis, has adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation, with two low-place midfielders and wingers tucked into middle areas to create a narrow and compact low block when out of the ball. However, this tactical approach has come at the expense of their attacking thirst, with their striker, Lopez, lacking any service and chances coming few and far between during matches.
While Al Fayha did not concede many in their last five outings in all competitions, their inability to score goals has hampered them, preventing them from getting more points on board. Contis will look to shuffle the pack ahead of the home clash against Al Ahli.
Al Ahli
Al Ahli have not had the start they would have hoped for ahead of the new season; in their opening ten outings, they have won four times, drawn twice, and lost four times. Their 14 points are six behind fourth-placed Al Shabab and seven off of third-placed Al Nassr.
Matthias Jaissle has failed to get his charges to perform at a consistent level. After the narrow 1-0 defeat in the derby against Al Ittihad, Jaissle and his charges have bounced back to win 5-1 against Al Shorta in the AFC Champions League and 2-0 against Al Raed in the Saudi Pro League.
The form of Gabri Veiga has especially been a bright spot for Al Ahli, especially with their strikers Firmino, al-Buraikan, and Ivan Toney not hitting the best form in front of goal yet.
Jaissle faces a tactical dilemma ahead of the trip to face Al Fayha as he looks to retrofit the talented strikers into the side and get them to play at their best level while retaining balance to his side.
Their prospects in this match and their ability to return to consistent form will depend on how the wealth of attacking talent at the disposal of Jaissle, Firminho, Veiga, Mahrez, Toney, and al-Buraikan will fit together.
Al Ahli’s Roger Ibanez will marshal their defense as they search for consistency to challenge at the top end of the Saudi Pro League
Injury Report
Al Fayha will be boosted with a lack of fresh injury worries ahead of their clash against Al Ahli; only long-term absentee Henry Onyekuru will be unavailable for selection, with the 27-year-old left winger out of action with an unknown injury.
Al Ahli will have to deal with three injury issues; however, two of them are long-term ones, with defensive midfielder Abdullah Otayf (cruciate ligament) and Mohammed Al Majhad (knee) out for large swathes of the season. However, Rayan Hamed has a fresh ankle ligament issue and will miss a second consecutive match in the Saudi Pro League.
Team News
Al Fayha will retain their attacking players, with Lopez leading the line. However, there might be a tactical tweak in the position of Shukurov in midfield to ensure that they are not outnumbered in the middle of the pack.
Al Ahli will continue with their experimentation to find the right balance in attack, with Mahrez, Gabri, Toney, Firmino, and al-Buraikan all bidding for a spot in the attacking four slots.
Prediction
Al Ahli are the favorites to win back-to-back matches in the Saudi Pro League after the return from the FIFA international break and bolstering their chance of climbing the table.
