Preview: Al-Taawoun vs. Abha - prediction, team news, lineups

Pericles Chamusca's men have failed to win any of their last four meetings between the sides and will head into the weekend looking to get one over the Za'eem Al-Janoub.

Match preview

Al-Taawoun got their 2023-24 Saudi Professional League campaign off and running last Friday when they picked up a 2-0 victory over Al-Nassr.

Despite seeing less than 40% of the ball possession and being on the back foot for most of the game, Leandre Tawamba and Ahmed Bahusayn scored in either half to stun Al-Nassr at the KSU Football Field.

Prior to that, Chamusca's side kicked off the new campaign with a 1-1 draw with Al-Fateh on August 13 when Qasim Al-Oujami scored an own goal to cancel out Firas Al-Buraikan's 24th-minute own goal.

With Friday's result, Al-Taawoun have now gone eight consecutive Professional League games without defeat, claiming seven wins and one draw since April's 2-1 loss to Al-Adalah.

Having played their first two games on the road, the Wolves now return home, where they are on a run of four consecutive victories, scoring nine goals and conceding four since a 1-1 draw with Al-Ettifaq on April 9.

Like this weekend's hosts, Abha picked up their first win of the new campaign last Saturday when they edged out Al-Raed 1-0 at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium.

Omar Al-Ruwaili came up clutch for the hosts as he came off the bench to score the only goal of the game in the 57th minute and hand Al-Raed a second straight defeat.

This followed a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Al-Hilal in the league curtain-curtain raider on August 14, when Brazilian striker Malcom scored a hat-trick to hand the Royal a comfortable victory.

While Czeslaw Michniewicz's men will be looking to build on last weekend's victory, they have lost each of their 11 away matches this year, with their last win on the road coming last December, when they edged out Al-Adalah 2-0 at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium.

However, next up is an opposing side who have failed to win any of the last four meetings between the teams, losing twice and claiming two draws since a 2-0 victory in October 2021.

Al-Taawoun Saudi Pro League form:

D

W

Abha Saudi Pro League form:

L

W

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Team News

Nineteen-year-old midfielder Aloyayari Abdulmalik came off injured in last Friday's victory over Al-Nassr and is a major doubt for Al-Taawoun.

Should he fail to shake off the injury, Bahusayn could return to the XI, teaming up with Ashraf El Mahdioui and Alvaro Medran at the centre of the park.

Off the back of picking up their first win of the season, Michniewicz could name a similar starting side, with Ciprian Tatarusanun and Fabian Noguera retaining their roles in the Abha XI.

Fahad Bin Jumayah, Uros Matic and former Paris Saint-Germain man Gregorz

Krychowiak have started the visitors' opening two matches and should form the midfield three once again.

Bguir, who registered eight goals and six assists last season, should lead Abha's attack, while 27-year-old Francois Kamano is a doubt after coming off with a late injury last weekend.

Al-Taawoun possible starting lineup:

Mailson; Muath, Kadesh, Al-Ahmed, Giorotto; El Mahdioui; Medran, El Mahdioui, Flavio; Tawamba, Mateus

Abha possible starting lineup:

Tatarusanu; Al Qumayzi, Noguera, Al-Sudani, Naji; Jumayah, Krychowiak, Matic, Alselouli; Bguir, Kamano

We say: Al-Taawoun 2-1 Abha

Fresh off the back of picking up their first win of the season, Al-Taawoun and Abha will head into the weekend looking to pick up where they dropped off. Abha's form away from home makes Chamusca's men firm favourites in this one and we are backing the Wolves to end their winless run in this fixture.

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