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Saudi Pro League | Gameweek 3
Aug 25, 2023 at 7pm UK
King Abdullah Sport City Stadium

Al-Taawoun
1 - 0
Abha

Mateus (85')
Zayed Al-Ghamdi (87')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Bin Jumayah (45+1'), Tatarusanu (84'), Al Hbeab (90+8')

Preview: Al-Taawoun vs. Abha - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Friday's Saudi Pro League clash between Al-Taawoun and Abha, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Al-Taawoun and Abha will be looking to pick up successive wins for the first time this season when they lock horns at the Al Taawon Club Stadium on Friday.

Pericles Chamusca's men have failed to win any of their last four meetings between the sides and will head into the weekend looking to get one over the Za'eem Al-Janoub.


Match preview

Al-Taawoun got their 2023-24 Saudi Professional League campaign off and running last Friday when they picked up a 2-0 victory over Al-Nassr.

Despite seeing less than 40% of the ball possession and being on the back foot for most of the game, Leandre Tawamba and Ahmed Bahusayn scored in either half to stun Al-Nassr at the KSU Football Field.

Prior to that, Chamusca's side kicked off the new campaign with a 1-1 draw with Al-Fateh on August 13 when Qasim Al-Oujami put through his own net to cancel out Firas Al-Buraikan's 24th-minute own goal.

With Friday's result, Al-Taawoun have now gone eight consecutive Professional League games without defeat, claiming seven wins and one draw since April's 2-1 loss to Al-Adalah.

Having played their first two games on the road, the Wolves now return home, where they are on a run of four consecutive victories, scoring nine goals and conceding four since a 1-1 draw with Al-Ettifaq on April 9.

Like this weekend's hosts, Abha picked up their first win of the new campaign last Saturday when they edged out Al-Raed 1-0 at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium.

Omar Al-Ruwaili came up clutch for the hosts as he came off the bench to score the only goal of the game in the 57th minute and hand Al-Raed a second straight defeat.

This followed a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Al-Hilal in the league curtain-raiser on August 14, when Brazilian striker Malcom scored a hat-trick to hand the Royal a comfortable victory.

While Czeslaw Michniewicz's men will be looking to build on last weekend's victory, they have lost each of their 11 away matches this year, with their last win on the road coming last December, when they edged out Al-Adalah 2-0 at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium.

However, next up is an opposing side who have failed to win any of the last four meetings between the teams, losing twice and claiming two draws since a 2-0 victory in October 2021.

Al-Taawoun Saudi Pro League form:

Abha Saudi Pro League form:


Team News

Nineteen-year-old midfielder Aloyayari Abdulmalik came off injured in last Friday's victory over Al-Nassr and is a major doubt for Al-Taawoun.

Should he fail to shake off the injury, Bahusayn could return to the XI, teaming up with Ashraf El Mahdioui and Alvaro Medran at the centre of the park.

Off the back of picking up their first win of the season, Michniewicz could name a similar starting side, with Ciprian Tatarusanu and Fabian Noguera retaining their roles in the Abha XI.

Fahad Bin Jumayah, Uros Matic and former Paris Saint-Germain man Gregorz Krychowiak have started the visitors' opening two matches and should form the midfield three once again.

Bguir, who registered eight goals and six assists last season, should lead Abha's attack, while 27-year-old Francois Kamano is a doubt after coming off with a late injury last weekend.


Al-Taawoun possible starting lineup:
Mailson; Muath, Kadesh, Al-Ahmed, Giorotto; El Mahdioui; Medran, El Mahdioui, Flavio; Tawamba, Mateus

Abha possible starting lineup:
Tatarusanu; Al Qumayzi, Noguera, Al-Sudani, Naji; Jumayah, Krychowiak, Matic, Alselouli; Bguir, Kamano


SM words green background

We say: Al-Taawoun 2-1 Abha

Fresh off the back of picking up their first win of the season, Al-Taawoun and Abha will head into the weekend looking to pick up where they dropped off. Abha's form away from home makes Chamusca's men firm favourites in this one and we are backing the Wolves to end their winless run in this fixture.



For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data


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Game History

How you voted: Al-Taawoun vs Abha

Al-Taawoun
50.0%
Draw
50.0%
Abha
0.0%
6
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Al Ittihad1110012681830
2Al-HilalAl-Hilal1191129111828
3Al-Nassr1164122101222
4Al ShababAl Shabab11713157822
5Al Quadisiya11713158722
6Al Khaleej116141514119
7Al-AhliAl-Ahli11524159617
8Al-TaawounAl-Taawoun114341110115
9Al Riyadh114341315-215
10Al RaedAl Raed114251616014
11Damac114251819-114
12Al Ettifaq11335915-612
13Al Orubah113171024-1410
14Al Okhdood112361215-39
15Al WahdaAl Wahda112361527-129
16Al Kholood111461321-87
17Al Fayha11146720-137
18Al Fateh11128820-125


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