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

Both in contention for continental qualification, Al Quadisiya and Al Ittihad bring round 17 of the Saudi Pro League to an end when they square off at the Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium on Thursday.

The home side are on a run of five consecutive victories, but they will need to show mettle here, having failed to win their last six games against Sergio Conceicao’s men since September 2018.

Match preview

Following a turbulent end to 2025, Al Quadisiya appear to have steadied the ship, winning each of their most recent five games to move within one point of the top three in the Pro League standings.

Four days on from their emphatic 5-0 victory over Al Fayha, the Knight of the East turned in another dominant team display on Sunday, when they hammered Al Hazem 5-1 at the Al Hazm Club Stadium.

Following a goalless first half, Mateo Retegui, Musab Al Juwayr and Julian Quinones hit the target to put Al Quadisiya in a commanding lead before Ahmed Al-Nakhli and Mohammed Al-Yami scored own goals on either side of Aboubacar Bah’s 86th-minute consolation.

This upturn in form has been owing to their solid job done at the attacking end of the pitch, where Brendan Rodgers’s men have netted 19 goals in their last five matches, two more than their total tally from the first 10 league games this season.

Coming off last season’s fourth-place finish on their return from a three-year spell in the second tier, Al Quadisiya are once again in the mix for continental qualification, as they sit fifth in the league standings with 33 points from 15 games, one point behind third-placed Al Nassr and five above Thursday's visitors in sixth place.

Al Ittihad were made to rue their wasteful display in front of goal last weekend when they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Al Ettifaq after squandering a plethora of clear-cut scoring chances at the King Abdullah Sports City.

In a game where Predrag Rajkovic received his marching orders, 25-year-old midfielder Khalid Al-Ghannam grabbed the headlines for Al Ettifaq as he netted in the 54th minute to hand them their seventh league win of the campaign.

Conceicao’s side have now dropped five points in their last two matches, having played out a somewhat disappointing 1-1 draw with Damac at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium on January 13, a result which saw their seven-game winning streak in all competitions come to an end.

The Tigers will be backing themselves to find their feet on Thursday, as they take on an opposing side, who have failed to win any of their last six meetings, losing five and claiming one draw since a 3-0 victory in September 2018.

Al Ittihad also journey to the Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium as one of just two sides unbeaten on their travels in the Pro League this season, having picked up four wins and three draws from their seven matches so far.

Al Quadisiya Saudi Pro League form:

Al Ittihad Saudi Pro League form:

Team News

With 23 league goals between them, former Atalanta man Retegui has formed a deadly attacking duo with Mexican striker Quinones, and we expect them to spearhead the Al Qadsiah attack on Thursday.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Rodgers should name an unchanged back three of Gaston Alvarez, Yasir Al-Shahrani and former Real Madrid man Nacho, with Koen Casteels starting between the sticks.

As for Al Ittihad, Conceicao will be unable to call upon Serbian goalkeeper Rajkovic, who is suspended after picking up a red card against Al Etiffaq, meaning Mohammed Al-Absi should start in goal here.

On the injury front, French forward Houssem Aouar will play no part in Wednesday’s tie as he continues his spell on the sidelines since sustaining a muscle injury back in November.

Saad Al-Mousa has also been ruled out since suffering a severe ankle injury in November and the 23-year-old defender is out of contention for Wednesday’s matchup.

Al Quadisiya possible starting lineup:

Casteels; Alvarez, Nacho, Al-Shahrani; Baah, Hazazi, Weigl, Al-Shamat, Juwayr; Quinones, Retegui

Al Ittihad possible starting lineup:

Shanqeeti, Pereira, Sharahili, Kadesh; Kante, Doumbia; Diaby, Bergwijn, Fernandes; Benzema

We say: Al Quadisiya 2-2 Al Ittihad

While Al Ittihad will be looking to find their feet on Thursday, they face the stern challenge of a rejuvenated Al Quadisiya side, who are seeking a sixth consecutive victory.

While Tigers boast a superior squad on paper, Al Quadisiya have home advantage in their favour, making it a tough match to call, but we predict both sides will cancel out each other’s efforts at the Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium.

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