Al Ittihad vs Al Riyadh: Predicted Lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

Published at :February 16, 2024 at 7:37 PM

Modified at :February 16, 2024 at 7:37 PM

Matchday 20 of the Saudi Pro League is set to be underway

With 31 points from 19 games, Al Ittihad are in fifth position on the league table, a staggering 22 points behind leaders Al Hilal. It’s been a disappointing campaign for the Jeddah outfit, who made a few marquee acquisitions such as Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Fabinho and Luiz Felipe over the summer.

The People’s Club, though, returned from the winter break with a convincing 3-0 victory over Al-Tai last Wednesday, ending their three-game losing run in the league. They also played a draw against the Uzbek club Navbahor in the first leg.

Al Riyadh are down in 15th position with 19 points from as many games, hovering just above the relegation zone. The side has won only five times all season, with their fifth and the last one coming in their most recent outing against Damac.

Al Ittihad and Al Riyadh face off this Sunday in the Saudi Pro League as both sides look to build on their last win. The away team will hope to get something from this match as they are going through a tough period in the league.

Kick-Off:

Sunday, 18th Feb 2024, 10:30 PM (IST), 05:00 PM (GMT), 12:00 PM (EST)

Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium

Form

Al Ittihad Form (All Competitions): W-W-L-L-L

Al Riyadh Form (All Competitions): W-L-L-D-W

Players to Watch

N’Golo Kanté (Al Ittihad):

A dynamic, diminutive, and disciplined player, Kanté is known for his relentless energy and excellent ball-winning abilities as a box-to-box midfielder in the centre of the pitch. Typically, Kanté has been earmarked as a “destroyer” that is, shutting down the opposition’s play in midfield, outside, and just about everywhere.

Andre Gray (Al Riyadh):

A very experienced striker, Gray is a very important player for Riyadh and he is a key player for them upfront. His ball control and arial abilities are his strong points. He is very right-footed but is also capable of scoring from his weaker foot.

Match Facts

Al Ittihad scored 2.10 goals per game
Al Riyadh scored 1.10 goals per game.
The away team is placed 15th in the Saudi Pro League.

Injury and Team News

Marcelo Gallardo’s side have plenty of injury concerns in the defence. Ahmed Sharahili sustained cruciate ligament damage in September and has been out ever since. Ahmed Bamasud is recovering from the same issue. Luiz Felipe has a muscle tear whereas Muhannad Shanqeeti and Omar Hawsawi are sidelined too. Benzema can also miss this match due to a lack of match fitness.

The capital side have nobody injured right now and enter the tie on the back of a fine fettle. Left-back Abdulelah Al-Khaibari is one card away from receiving a one-match suspension.

Head-to-Head

Matches: 4

Al Ittihad: 4

Al Riyadh: 0

Draws: 0

Predicted Lineup for Al Ittihad vs Al Riyadh

Al Ittihad Predicted Lineup (4-3-3):

Grohe(GK); Yami, Hegazy, Kadesh, Alolayan; Kante, Farhan, Ghamdi; Romarinho, Hamdallah, Sahafi

Al Riyadh Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Campana(GK); Hussain, Assiri, Shwirekh, Khaibari; Toure, Ndong; Shehri, Musona, Abbas; Gray

Match Prediction for Al Ittihad vs Al Riyadh

The home team will come out as the winner and will take all three points.

Prediction: Al Ittihad 3-0 Al Riyadh

Telecast

India – Sony Network, SonyLIV

UK – DAZN, Sky Sports

USA – FOX Sports, ESPN

Nigeria – Sporty TV

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