Al Ettifaq will look to continue their unbeaten run in the Saudi Pro League this week when they take on Al-Ahli at Al Ettifaq Club Stadium on Friday evening.
The hosts are currently in sixth place in the league standings with 35 points, while the visitors are in third place with 47 points to their name over the same period.
Match preview
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Al Ettifaq have shown significant improvement after failing to win any of their final eight games of 2023 and come into this match, having only lost one of their five matches this year, which was against the formidable Al Hilal last month.
The Commandos played out a 1-1 draw against Al Tai in their last match, extending their current unbeaten run to three matches (W2 D1 L0), and are now five points behind fifth-placed Al Taawoun, who are winless in their last three games.
Karl Toko Ekambi gave the Knight of Ad-Dahna the lead inside the first 20 minutes of the match at the Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium but their advantage was erased by Virgil Misidjan on the stroke of half.
A notable improvement for Steven Gerrard's side since the turn of the calendar has come in defence, where they have kept three clean sheets and conceded just three goals in their last five matches.
However, the former Liverpool skipper will now need to find a way to improve his team's home form, as their win over Abha at the start of the month is the only one they have managed in their last eight games on home soil, dating back to October 5 last year.
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Meanwhile, Al-Ahli's hopes of securing an AFC Champions League qualification spot took a knock before the two-week break, when they suffered a 1-0 loss to second-placed Al-Nassr at home.
The Royals were arguably a little unlucky not to have got anything from that match, though, as they created more chances across the 90 but were just unable to respond after going behind to a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty in the second half, which was also the Knights of Najd's only shot on target in the game.
That result saw the gap to the top two extended to nine points and snapped up a three-match unbeaten streak, which included wins over Al Tai and Al Taawoun, either side of a 1-1 draw at home to Al Fateh at the start of last month.
On the road this season, Matthias Jaissle's side currently hold the third-best record in the division with seven wins, one draw and four losses, and are gunning for a third consecutive away win and a fifth in their last six games.
When these sides met back in September, they played out a goalless draw, but with just 10 games left until the season comes to an end, the visitors will feel that this is a must-win fixture if they are to remain in realistic contention for a top-two finish.
Team News
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Ekambi took his tally for Al Ettifaq to seven goals for the season in their draw against Al Tai last time out, and he should keep his place in the front line alongside the club's top goal scorer Moussa Dembele.
The third spot in the front three will likely be given to Abdulrahman Al-Oboud, with former Leicester City attacker Demarai Gray set to start the first of a three-match ban for the straight red he received in the dying moments of the last match.
In the opposite camp, Al Ahli are set to remain without the midfield duo of Abdullah Otayf and Gabri Veiga due to a cruciate ligament tear and an injury to the ankle respectively.
Firas Al-Buraikan currently leads the goal scoring charts for the Royals and should continue to lead the line, with Roberto Firmino operating in the number 10 role and Riyad Mahrez playing off the right flank.
Al Ettifaq possible starting lineup:
Victor; Otaibi, Hendry, Madu, Al Shamrani; Wijnaldum, Medran, Fofana; Ekambi, Dembele, Al-Oboud
Al-Ahli possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Majrashi, Demiral, Ibanez, Yaslam; Kessie, Alasmari; Mahrez, Firmino, Saint-Maximin; Al-Buraikan
We say: Al Ettifaq 1-1 Al-Ahli
Both these sides come into this match carrying decent form since the New Year and are in need of all three points. Despite the gap in the table, these teams are very closely matched on paper and, like the reverse fixture, we feel there will be nothing to separate them at the final whistle.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
