Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli Saudi will go one-on-one on Friday at 18:00 GMT. The two sides will go head-to-head in a Saudi Pro League clash with ramifications at the top of the table as the title chase heats up.
Key Highlights
Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal are the unbeaten leaders of the Saudi Pro League after 10 rounds of fixtures. They have displayed significant power in the attacking and defensive phases justifying their impressive form so far this season.
In the attacking phase, Al-Hilal scored 27 goals, making them the second-best attack in the league, just a goal behind Al-Nassr with 28 goals.
In defense, Al-Hilal have conceded just 7 goals, the joint-best defensive record in the Saudi Pro League, alongside Al-Ittihad. They will look to bolster their stranglehold on the league’s top spot when they play Al-Ahli on Friday.
Al-Ahli Saudi
Al-Ahli Saudi have won their last two consecutive matches. They are unbeaten in the last three and have lost once in their last five outings.
Al-Ahli sit fourth on the table with 22 points, four behind leaders and their opponents on Friday Al-Hilal.
The focus for Al-Ahli will be to extend their winning run to three and cut Al-Hilal’s lead at the top of the table down to just once with a win.
Injury Report
Besides the widely-reported long-term absence of Neymar for Al-Hilal, neither side reported fresh injury issues ahead of the one-on-one clash between the two sides on Friday.
Team News
Al-Hilal will be without Neymar, which means the manager will have to ensure that Michael, Malcom, Al-Dawsari, and striker Mitrovic can dovetail effectively to create chances and bolster their goal threat.
Al-Ahli will hope that Firmino can end his run of not scoring in the Saudi Pro League since his debut hat trick when they face Al-Hilal.
Prediction
Al-Hilal will have enough to win and retain their top-of-the-table status after 11 rounds of fixtures in the Saudi Pro League.
