Al Hilal vs Al Ittihad Prediction, Preview, Lineups and Team News | SPL, September 21, 2024

Preview

• Tournament: Saudi Pro League
• Date: Saturday, Sep 21
• Kick-off Time: 07:00 pm GMT
• Venue: Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Saudi Arabia

Champions Al Hilal will be welcoming league-leaders Al Ittihad in their second home game of the 2024/25 Saudi Pro League season at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. Both teams have kickstarted the new campaign with victories in three of their league games and it will be a closely contested fixture.

Hosts Al Hilal are also in a formidable position as they are coming off a comfortable 3-1 win over Al-Rayyan in the league phase of the AFC Champions League. With momentum on their side, the Blue Waves will aim to extend their remarkable unbeaten form to nine league games with a win this weekend.

Meanwhile, Al Ittihad are coming off an astounding 7-1 win over Al Wehda in their last game and have maintained their top spot in the league standings. It has been an excellent showing so far for Laurent Blanc’s side who are expected to give a tough competition to defending champions Al Hilal.

Al Hilal Team News

Al Hilal star Neymar who sustained an ACL injury last season is closing in on a return to full fitness. Other than that, manager Jorge Jesus will have the luxury of fielding his best combination of players this weekend.

Al Ittihad Team News

As for Al Ittihad, Karim Benzema is expected to lead the attack with new signing Steven Bergwijn expected to earn first-team minutes in this weekend’s tie. Moussa Diaby is expected to operate as an advanced midfielder.

Al Hilal vs Al Ittihad Predicted Lineups

Al Hilal predicted lineup:

Goalkeeper: Bounou

Defenders: Alburayk, Koulibaly, Al Bulaihi, Lodi

Midfielders: Milinkovic-Savic, Neves, Alhamddan

Forwards: Al-Qahtani, Al-Dawsari; Mitrovic

Al Ittihad predicted lineup:

Goalkeeper: Rajkovic;

Defenders: Al Yami, Al-Shanqeetti, Al Mousa, Kadesh;

Midfielders: Kante, Fabinho; Diaby,

Forwards: Aouar, Bergwijn; Benzema

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Head-to-Head Record

The two sides have faced off 39 times in the past, with Al Hilal winning 20 of those games. Al Ittihad has won seven matches whereas the remaining 12 matches ended in a draw,

Last five match results:

Key Players to Watch in Al Hilal vs Al Ittihad

Aleksandar Mitrovic (Al Hilal)

The Serbian striker scored a double in a 3-0 victory over Al Okhdood in Al Ittihad’s opening game of the campaign. The former Fulham forward continued his impressive goalscoring form from last season and has now bagged 30 goals in 29 Saudi Pro League games.

Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad)

Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema scored a hattrick in Al Ittihad’s sweeping 7-1 victory over Al-Wahda in their last game. The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner has already scored four goals in three games after reuniting with former France national team manager Laurent Blanc this summer. His experience in the upper echelons of world football bolsters his profile as a key player in this crucial fixture.

Al Hilal vs Al Ittihad Prediction

Al Hilal have started another domestic campaign on a strong note and have seemed to pick up from where they left off last season. The Blues Waves will now play their fourth game of the season and are expected to win against the league leaders. They are unbeaten in their last eight league games which dates back to last season.

As for Al Ittihad, they have started another domestic campaign on a strong note and are currently at the top of the table with nine points. Nadi Al-Sha’ab are looking promising under new manager Laurent Blanc who has managed to win all three league games this season.

Predicted Score: Al Hilal 0-3 Al Ittihad (Watch Live)

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