Al Ittihad vs Al Khaleej – News and Probable Lineups

Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad will host Al Khaleej at Alinma Stadium on Friday evening in the 24th round of the 2025-26 season.

The home side is looking to get back to winning ways after a couple of draws, while the visitors are in search of their first win in nine games.

Match overview

Al Ittihad displayed flashes of the tenacity that led them to last season’s title in their 1-1 draw with Al Hilal on Saturday, but Tuesday’s 1-1 stalemate against Al Hazeem was indicative of a lackluster title defense this season.

Sergio Conceicao’s side seemed poised to secure all three points in Ar Rass following Roger Fernandes’s strike in the 80th minute, but Abdulaziz Al-Dwehe equalized just four minutes later.

Although the Jeddah giants remain unbeaten in five matches across all competitions, their domestic performance continues to overshadow any positivity. They are currently sixth in the league, having collected 39 points from 23 matches, and are a significant 17 points behind current leaders Al Ahli.

After the departures of Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante to Al Hilal and Fenerbahce during the winter transfer window, Al Ittihad risks falling behind their fellow PIF-owned clubs if their fortunes do not improve soon.

Success in this season’s AFC Champions League would likely cover some of the flaws, as Nadi Al-Watan is set to face Al Wahda in the round of 16.

Considering their mediocre league showing thus far, the home team could be excused for focusing on their upcoming continental match next week. However, first, they must navigate the fixture against Al Khaleej, who have failed to win in any of the last 17 encounters between the two sides.

After concluding 2025 with four consecutive losses, Al Khaleej appeared to have turned things around with three wins and a draw in their first four matches of 2026.

Georgios Donis’s team faced their first defeat of the year against Al Ahli on January 20, which triggered an eight-match winless run, including five losses, culminating in Tuesday’s heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Al Kholood.

While the Eagles aren’t in immediate relegation peril, their aspirations of finishing in the top half for the first time in a decade are precariously hanging as they currently occupy ninth place, just two points above Al Hazem in 13th.

With the league’s fifth-best attack, scoring 42 goals—three more than Al Ittihad—Al Khaleej has found it relatively easy to score, yet their offensive output has often been undermined by a leaky defense, having conceded 37 goals.

Going up against an Al Ittihad side that has opened the scoring in eight of their last ten fixtures, the visitors will need to maintain a solid shape early on if they are to stand a chance of finally claiming a win in this matchup.

Team News

Saad Al Mousa of Al Ittihad has been unavailable since early November due to a broken ankle and will not feature in this match.

Another long-term absentee for the hosts is Abdulrahman Al-Oboud, who joins Saleh Al-Shehri, Ahmed Yousef Al Julaydan, and Faisal Al-Ghamdi on the sidelines.

Hassan Kadesh, however, returns after serving a one-match suspension for his red card against Al Hilal.

With 14 goals in 20 appearances so far, Joshua King looks set for his most prolific league season, although he is considered doubtful for the match against Al Khaleej.

Kostas Fortounis tops the league in assists with 11 and will aim to add to this tally after his standout performance in the reverse fixture, where he contributed two goals and two assists.

Dimitrios Kourbelis is expected to return to central midfield following his suspension, which could see Mansour Hamzi make way.

Al Ittihad probable starting XI:

Rajkovic; Mitaj, Sharahili, Fabinho, Fernandes; Al Nashiri, Doumbia; Diaby, Aouar, Bergwijn; In Nesyri

Al Khaleej probable starting XI:

Life; Al Hamsal, Asiri, Al Khabrani, Rebocho; Al Eisa, Kanabah, Kourbelis, Fernandes; Fortounis, Masouras

This season, Al Ittihad have not performed to their usual standards, but their home form has been impressive, with nine victories in their last ten games.

We anticipate that the hosts will prevail over their opponents and secure a narrow win at the conclusion of the match.