Sabasports Match Preview
Roshn Saudi League：Al-Riyadh vs Al-Ettifaq
Kickoff Time: 2025-12-26 01:30 (HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Al-Riyadh achieved promotion as the fourth-place team in the Saudi Professional League for the 2022-23 season. Due to the club’s limited financial strength, the total market value of the first team players ranks third from the bottom among the 18 teams in the Saudi Pro League, resulting in very limited competitiveness, with relegation becoming the team’s primary objective. This season, Al-Riyadh started with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses, scoring only 10 goals, showing a rather mediocre attacking capability. Currently, the team’s top scorer is striker Mamadou Sylla with 5 goals, while the most valuable player in the squad is Portuguese midfielder Tozé, valued at 2.5 million euros, who is the core of the team’s combination and has recorded 2 goals and 2 assists. From recent performances, Al-Riyadh has been in average competitive form. In the last home game against Damac, who are in the relegation zone, they failed to win, having only 34% possession and taking only 7 shots compared to their opponents’ 14, showing no home advantage. In the last away game, even with one more player, they couldn’t secure a point, with center-back Mohammed Al-Khaibari even scoring an own goal. After the game, he was rated the lowest in the team, significantly impacting his confidence.
Al-Ettifaq attracted attention when they invited former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to coach. Unfortunately, Gerrard failed to lead Al-Ettifaq to any titles and left the position in January 2025. Currently, the head coach is Saad Al-Shehri, the former coach of the Saudi Arabian U21 national team, who led the team to a fourth-place finish at the 2018 Asian Games. As a coach, Al-Shehri emphasizes technical combinations and the individual capabilities of players. Of the 13 goals scored in the league, 8 were assisted by teammates, showcasing a strong team spirit. This season, the team’s attacking trio has performed well. Striker Moussa Dembélé has scored 3 goals and provided 1 assist, left winger Khalid Al-Ghannam has scored 4 goals and provided 2 assists, while right winger Mohau Nkota has scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist. Among the three, Moussa Dembélé is the most famous, having been Lyon’s star player with a peak value of 50 million euros and scoring a total of 52 goals over three seasons in Ligue 1. In the last home match, Dembélé’s brace helped the team win 3-2 against Al-Fayha. However, Dembélé is not the team’s most renowned star; that title goes to former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum. Currently, Wijnaldum has started every match in the league. Despite being 35 years old, he remains effective, contributing 4 goals and 1 assist. In the recent away game, it was Wijnaldum’s penalty kick late in the match that secured a precious point for the team. Clearly, every player in the offensive lineup is in top competitive form.
There is a significant gap in strength and recent form between the two teams. Al-Riyadh is in a slump with three consecutive winless matches, while Al-Ettifaq is experiencing a resurgence with three matches unbeaten. In this matchup, it is believed that the better-performing Al-Ettifaq can secure a victory.
Al-Riyadh’s Last 5 Games: LDDLW
25-11-21 Al-Ittihad 2-1 Al-Riyadh
25-11-07 Al-Riyadh 1-1 Damac
25-10-31 Al-Ahli 1-1 Al-Riyadh
25-10-27 Al–Fateh 2-0 Al-Riyadh
25-10-23 Al-Riyadh 1-0 Al-Kholood
Al-Ettifaq ‘s Last 5 Games: WDDLL
25-11-22 Al-Ettifaq 3-2 Al-Fayha
25-11-08 Al-Shabab 1-1 Al-Ettifaq
25-11-01 Al-Ettifaq 2-2 Al-Hazem
25-10-24 Al-Fateh 2-1 Al-Ettifaq
25-10-18 Al-Ettifaq 0-5 Al-Hilal
Head-to-Head Record:
25-04-17 Al-Ettifaq 1-0 Al-Riyadh
24-11-24 Al-Riyadh 0-0 Al-Ettifaq
24-04-07 Al-Ettifaq 1-0 Al-Riyadh
23-10-22 Al-Riyadh 1-0 Al-Ettifaq
Prediction: Al-Ettifaq to win away