Al-Hilalvs.Al Riyadh

The hosts fell two points behind leaders Al-Ittihad following a draw on Saturday, while their visitors sit four points outside of the top six following a defeat last time out.

Match preview

Al-Hilal will aim to make a swift return to winning ways in their Saudi Pro League title defence on Friday, having fallen two points behind the new leaders at the weekend.

After winning the league unbeaten last season, amassing 96 points from 34 games to lift the trophy for the 19th time, Jorge Jesus's side began their defence in similarly dominant fashion, moving onto 43 points from 16 outings with five straight wins around the turn of the year, culminating in 9-0 and 4-1 beatings of Al Fateh and Al Wehda respectively in January.

The Blue Waves have since dropped points for just the third and fourth times of the campaign in their last three outings, though, firstly suffering a 2-1 defeat away at Al Quadisiya as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang snatched all three points for the hosts with an injury-time winner, before Jesus's men bounced back with a 4-0 triumph over Al Okhdood thanks to goals from Kaio Cesar and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and a Marcos Leonardo brace.

Then on the back of a 4-1 win over Persepolis to remain top of their AFC Champions League group, the Riyadh giants most recently visited Damac on Saturday, and after leading through Leonardo and falling behind to a Habib Diallo brace, they were able to leave with a point as Milinkovic-Savic levelled 13 minutes from time.

Having dropped to second spot as a result of their slight dip, but still only trailing Al-Ittihad by two points with a stronger goal difference, having netted a league-high tally of 59 goals in 19 matches, Al-Hilal will aim to bounce back to winning ways on Friday and return to the summit.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the short trip across the Saudi capital in search of a return to winning ways of their own, with the top six of the Saudi Pro League still in their sights.

After finishing 14th in their first season back in the top flight last time around, finishing three points clear of the relegation zone, Al Riyadh have enjoyed a much-improved 2024-25 campaign, earning 28 points from their first 19 outings while matching last term's tally of eight league wins.

Sabri Lamouchi's side finished 2024 with back-to-back victories to move onto 21 points from 13 outings, but they have since added just seven more to that tally in six further attempts, dropping to seventh spot as a result, with their only two wins in that time coming at home to Al-Taawoun and Al Wedha.

Those three-point hauls were separated by a 5-0 beating away at Al-Ahli, before they most recently visited Al Kholood last weekend and succumbed to a 3-2 loss despite leading early through Ibraheem Bayesh, having been unable to find a leveller after Mohamed Konate reduced the deficit to one in the 88th minute.

Now sitting seventh and trailing sixth-placed Al Shabab by four points, while only leading Al Khaleej by one, Al Riyadh will hope to take a major scalp on Friday and reignite their top-six push.

Al-Hilal Saudi Pro League form:

W

W

W

L

W

D

Al Riyadh Saudi Pro League form:

D

L

W

L

W

L

Team News

Al-Hilal will remain without key attacker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who leads the squad with 20 goals this season, having been sidelined by a hamstring injury since the turn of the year, while full-back Renan Lodi is also confined to the treatment room.

In Mitrovic's absence, Marcos Leonardo will continue to lead the line, having scored in each of his last eight Saudi Pro League appearances and netted 12 in that time to move onto 19 goals in just 24 games this term, while Salem Al-Dawsari, Malcom and Kaio Cesar offer plenty more threat in a supporting trio.

Elsewhere, key men Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves will continue their midfield partnership, while former Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona man Joao Cancelo will again line up on the right-hand side of a back four.

Al Riyadh only made one change to their starting XI between their last two games and should again field a similar side on Friday, with Mohamed Konate continuing to lead the line after netting his third goal of the season in Saturday's narrow defeat.

He should again have support from Bernard Mensah, Sekou Lega and Ibraheem Bayesh, who also got on the scoresheet last time out to move onto a team-high tally of four goals for the season.

Toze and Lucas Kal are mainstays in the midfield and will continue their partnership in the centre of Lamouchi's 4-2-3-1 shape.

Al-Hilal possible starting lineup:

Bono; Cancelo, Koulibaly, Tambakti, Al-Harbi; Neves, Milinkovic-Savic; Cesar, Malcom, Al-Dawsari; Leonardo

Al Riyadh possible starting lineup:

Borjan; Asiri, Barbet, Tambakti, Al-Khaibari; Toze, Kai; Bayesh, Lega, Mensah; Konate

We say: Al-Hilal 3-1 Al Riyadh

Written by

Sam Varley

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