Having already suffered relegation, Al Hazem will do battle against Al Riyadh at the Al-Hazem Club Stadium on Saturday in round 32 of the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League season.
Meanwhile, the visitors head to Ar Rass this weekend currently embroiled in the battle for survival, which looks set to go all the way until the final matchday.
Match preview
Al Hazem were on the receiving end of a comprehensive 4-1 defeat against newly-crowned Saudi champions Al Hilal in Saturday's meeting at the Kingdom Arena.
After going behind to Aleksandar Mitrovic's early penalty, Daniel Carreno's men hit back through Faiz Selemani before Ahmed Al-Juwaid's own goal, Mitrovic's second strike and a Sergej Milinkovic-Savic effort put the result beyond doubt.
Consequently, Hazem Al-Samood remain rooted to the bottom of the Saudi Pro League table and are now a whopping 10 points adrift of safety.
Lying in store next is the challenge of an opposing outfit who are without a victory in the last eight editions of this fixture across all competitions since 2014.
Winless in their last seven home matches either side of the new year, Saturday's hosts have struggled in front of their fans all-season long, and it is no surprise to see them fail to beat the drop.
Al Riyadh had to make do with a point for the second game running in a goalless stalemate against Al Taawon at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium on Thursday.
Odair Hellmann's men had their backs against the wall for large spells of the contest but held firm to secure a hard-fought share of the spoils.
With 30 points picked up from 31 league outings this term, Al Riyadh currently sit 15th in the standings, just one point clear of the drop zone heading into the final three matches.
Boasting just one triumph from their last eight away involvements, Saturday's visitors will need to get going on the road as they go in search of a much-needed win.
Team News
Al Hazem's Ahmed Al-Juwaid endured a torrid return to action against Al Hilal, but the midfielder is expected to retain his starting berth.
Following his strike in the aforementioned game, Faiz Selemani has now been directly involved in a third of his side's 30 goals so far, making him one to keep an eye on here.
Twenty-eight-year-old Khalid Al Shuwayyi is eligible to feature for Al Riyadh in this one after serving a one-game suspension against Al Taawon.
Jamaican international Andre Gray could be dropped to the visitors' bench this weekend having seen his goal drought extend to nine matches last time out.
Al Hazem possible starting lineup:
Zaid; Viana, Ricardo, Al Dakheel; Al Juwaid, Toze, Moreno, Qasheesh, Al Thani; Selemani, Badamosi
Al Riyadh possible starting lineup:
Campana; Al Khaibari, Al Shwirekh, Asiri, Ali Alnowaiqi; Al Shehri, Toure, Ndong, Al Harajin; Al Aqel, Gray
We say: Al Hazem 0-1 Al Riyadh
With two of the division's lowest-scoring teams facing off, we expect a nervy and cagey affair with clear-cut chances at a premium. That said, we are also backing the away side to carry the day come the end of the 90 minutes.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adepoju Marvellous
