All eyes in Saudi football will be on Al-Ettifaq Stadium in Dammam on Friday evening, as the "Knights of Ad-Dahna" host Damac in a crucial match in the 21st round of the Saudi Professional League. Al-Ettifaq enters the match with high morale, aiming for their second consecutive victory and to confirm their recent resurgence, while Damac hopes to achieve a positive result to help them distance themselves from the relegation zone in the standings.
General context and historical background
This encounter comes amidst an exceptional Saudi League season, which has garnered global attention thanks to attracting top stars and world-class coaches, significantly raising the level of competition. Historically, matches between the two teams are always fiercely contested, having met 13 times in the Professional League. The historical record favors Al-Ettifaq, who have won 6 matches compared to Damac's 3 victories, while 4 matches ended in a draw. Offensively, Al-Ettifaq also holds the advantage, having scored 20 goals against Damac, who have managed to find the net 11 times.
The importance of the match and its expected impact
The match holds added importance for both teams. For Al-Ettifaq, who enter the game in seventh place with 32 points, a win would represent an opportunity to move closer to the top four and compete for a spot in next season's Asian Champions League. Having bounced back from their loss to Al-Ahli with a valuable victory over Al-Taawoun, the coach and his players are looking to continue their positive run and improve their position in the standings. The team boasts a constellation of talented players, led by Dutch captain Georginio Wijnaldum, French striker Moussa Dembélé, Spaniard Álvaro Medrán, and Scottish midfielder Jack Hendry.
On the other hand, Damac enters the match in a precarious position, sitting in 15th place with 12 points, putting them in danger of relegation. Despite recent improvements in form, culminating in a draw against Al-Khaleej, the team knows their task in Dammam will be far from easy. They will strive to accumulate as many points as possible to avoid relegation, relying on their foreign players such as Brazilian goalkeeper Kewen Silva, Algerian defender Abdelkader Bedrane, and Congolese striker Jonathan Okita, along with the rest of the squad, all determined to prove their ability to remain in the top flight.
