Tonight, all eyes in Saudi football will be on Prince Hathloul bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium, where Al-Hilal, the Saudi Professional League leaders, will be the visitors against Al-Akhdoud in the 26th round of the competition. Al-Hilal enters the match with high morale, bolstered by an unprecedented winning streak, and aims to strengthen its grip on the top spot and take another step closer to securing the title.
Background of the confrontation and historical context
Al-Hilal is enjoying an exceptional season under the leadership of Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus. The team has not only secured a comfortable lead in the league over its closest rivals, but has also broken the world record for the longest winning streak in football history. This achievement places a significant responsibility on the players to maintain this impressive record and continue delivering performances worthy of the world record holders. The match against Al-Akhdoud is more than just about three points; it's a continuation of a historic run followed by the entire world, adding a global dimension to the encounter.
The importance of the match and its expected impact
Domestically, Al-Hilal aims to widen the gap with its closest rival, Al-Nassr, and secure the league title early to focus on other competitions, most notably the AFC Champions League and the King's Cup. For Al-Akhdoud, the match represents a significant challenge and an opportunity to prove itself against a formidable champion. Any positive result for Al-Akhdoud, which is battling relegation in the middle of the table, would be a tremendous morale boost for the team in the remaining stages of the season.
Al-Hilal's expected lineup
Coach Jorge Jesus is expected to field his strongest lineup with a few minor adjustments. With Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic sidelined due to injury, Saleh Al-Shehri is likely to lead the attack. The expected lineup is as follows:
- Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou
- Defense: Saud Abdulhamid, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Yasser Al-Shahrani
- Midfield: Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Michael Delgado
- Forwards: Malcolm Philip, Salem Al-Dawsari, Saleh Al-Shehri
Al-Zaeem is looking to continue its strong attacking performance and solid defense, which has made it the strongest attacking and defensive line in the league this season, confirming its absolute dominance over Saudi football.
