Al-Hilal vs Al Ettifaq – News and Probable Lineups

Al-Hilal, currently at the top of the Saudi Pro League by the smallest margin, will host Al-Ettifaq at the Kingdom Arena this Friday.

The home team’s lead over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr has dwindled to just one point, while Al-Ettifaq seeks to inch closer to the top three positions in the league table.

Match overview

Al-Hilal has had a remarkable season thus far, securing victories in 15 out of their 20 league games, but a recent spate of disappointing results has tightened the race for the title.

From September to January, Simone Inzaghi’s squad enjoyed a 13-match winning streak that placed them comfortably at the summit of the standings. However, a trio of winless matches against Al-Riyadh (1-1), Al-Qadsiah (2-2), and Al-Ahli (0-0) has made them wary.

The Blue Waves did return to winning form as new signing Karim Benzema celebrated his debut with a hat-trick, propelling them to an impressive 6-0 triumph against the struggling Al-Okhdood.

With Al-Nassr just a point adrift in the title chase, there is little room for mistakes, and anything less than a win could see them relinquish their championship position.

Nevertheless, the home fans have reasons to feel secure given their team’s dominant record against Al-Ettifaq, having won six of their last seven encounters across competitions.

Moreover, the Kingdom Arena has proven to be a stronghold for the Blue Power; they have won all but one of their past 12 matches played there.

On the flip side, Al-Ettifaq comes into this match after securing consecutive wins against Al-Taawoun (1-0) and Damac (2-0).

Heading into this fixture, the Commandos are looking to achieve three straight league victories for the first time this season.

Currently positioned sixth in the standings with a total of 35 points, Saad Al-Shehri’s crew is 12 points away from the top three, and they will aim to reduce that gap as there are still 14 matches remaining.

Even though they faced a heavy 4-0 defeat at the hands of Al-Ahli in their most recent away game, Al-Shehri can take comfort as his team had won four successive away encounters prior to that setback.

Team News

Karim Benzema smoothly transitioned from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal, making an instant impact by scoring a hat-trick in the match.

The French striker is expected to lead the attack, aided by Malcom and Salem Al-Dawsari.

There have been suggestions about Yassine Bounou’s injury, but he should be fit for the visit from Al-Ettifaq.

Kalidou Koulibaly has been a steady presence in defense for the hosts over the last two matches and is likely to retain his spot.

For the visitors, there are no injury concerns, which means they could field the same starting lineup from their previous match.

Marek Rodak remains the clear first-choice goalkeeper and is set to start again.

Georginio Wijnaldum stands out as his team’s top scorer with 11 goals from midfield, and he is expected to be among the first names on the team sheet.

Al-Hilal probable starting XI:

They bounce; Al Yami, Koulibaly, Lajami, Hernandez; Milinkovic-Savic, Neves, N. Al-Dawsari; Malcolm, Benzema, S. Al-Dawsari

Al Ettifaq probable starting XI:

Rodak; Calvo, Hindi, Hendry, Al Otibe; Costa, Medran, Ali, Wijnaldum; Al-Ghannam, Couka

This match holds significant importance for Al-Hilal, as securing a win is essential to maintaining their narrow advantage at the top of the league. However, Al-Ettifaq is keen to close the gap to the top three positions. Therefore, a closely contested battle is anticipated, with the home side tipped to achieve a 2-1 victory.