Preview: Al Ettifaq vs Al Ittihad - prediction, team news, lineups

Al-Ettifaq will be targeting back-to-back victories when they welcome Al-Ittihad to the Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium on Thursday evening, with two Saudi Pro League games still to play.

The hosts come into the fixture full of confidence following a 5-0 demolition of Al Khaleej, while the visitors arrive just three points ahead of them in the table.

Match preview

Saad Al-Shehri’s side head into Thursday’s fixture in seventh place in the Saudi Pro League table with 49 points from 14 wins, seven draws and 11 defeats, having scored 49 goals and conceded 51 across the campaign.

Their recent form has been mixed, with two wins, one draw and two defeats from their last five fixtures across all competitions, though the most recent of those outings could hardly have gone better - a resounding 5-0 victory over Al Khaleej in which Moussa Dembele netted twice.

Al-Shehri has shown throughout the season that his side are capable of adapting to various match situations, and, having finished seventh last season, the hosts will be determined to secure the same position, or better, when the campaign concludes.

Defensively, however, Al-Ettifaq have shown vulnerability at times, conceding 51 league goals across the campaign, and they will need to be considerably more disciplined at the back against a visit from one of the division’s more potent attacking sides.

© Imago

Al-Ittihad arrive at the Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium in fifth place with 52 points from 15 wins, seven draws and nine defeats, and Sergio Conceicao’s side have demonstrated a consistent ability to make the most of transitions and exploit opposition weaknesses throughout the campaign.

The visitors have scored 49 goals and conceded only 39 in the league, and their recent form has been encouraging, with three wins, one draw and one defeat from their last five fixtures across all competitions.

Their most recent outing produced a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Damac FC, with Abdulaziz Al-Bishi’s goal in the 94th minute settling the contest and underlining Al-Ittihad’s capacity to find a way to win even when pushed to the limit.

Away from home, Al-Ittihad have a respectable record of five wins, six draws and four defeats, and they will be confident of performing on the road against a side they sit three points above in the table.

The head-to-head record between these two sides is evenly poised, with each team having claimed two victories from the last five meetings and one match ending in a draw - though Al-Ettifaq did win the most recent encounter between the sides 1-0, which will give the hosts belief that another upset is possible.

With two games left and both sides with something to play for in terms of their final league position, Thursday’s game has all the ingredients of a fiercely competitive and closely fought contest.

Al Ettifaq Saudi Pro League form:

Al Ittihad Saudi Pro League form:

Al Ittihad form (all competitions):

Team News

© Iconsport / MB Media

Al-Ettifaq have no injury or suspension concerns heading into Thursday’s fixture, giving Al-Shehri a full squad to select from.

Dembele and Georginio Wijnaldum are both expected to lead the attack once more after combining for three goals between them in the demolition of Al Khaleej.

Alvaro Medran, who contributed a hat-trick of assists last time out, is set to continue in midfield alongside Ondrej Duda, with the pair having been in fine form during the recent run of results.

Jack Hendry and Francisco Calvo are expected to form the central defensive partnership, with Madallah Al-Olayan and Abdullah Khateeb providing the width from the full-back positions.

Al-Ittihad will check on the fitness of several players ahead of the trip, with Conceicao expected to name a strong side given the importance of the fixture to their final league standing.

Steven Bergwijn and Youssef En-Nesyri are set to lead the attack for the visitors, with Houssem Aouar operating in the position behind them after netting in the victory over Damac.

Fabinho and Awad Al-Nashri are expected to anchor the midfield alongside Moussa Diaby, while Danilo Pereira, Hassan Kadesh and Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti are set to form the defensive unit in front of goalkeeper Rajkovic.

Al Ettifaq possible starting lineup:

Rodak; Khateeb, Hendry, Calvo, Olayan; Duda, Medran; Costa, Wijnaldum, Al-Ghannam; Dembele

Al Ittihad possible starting lineup:

Rajkovic; Kadesh, Pereira, Al-Shanqeeti; Mitaj, Fabinho, Al-Nashri, Diaby; Aouar; Bergwijn, En-Nesyri

We say: Al Ettifaq 1-2 Al Ittihad

Al-Ittihad’s superior defensive record, their ability to grind out results as demonstrated against Damac and their quality in attack make them slight favourites to claim all three points on Thursday evening.

Al-Ettifaq will pose a genuine threat on home soil, but Conceicao’s side should have enough to edge a tight and competitive encounter.

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