The board of directors of Al-Ittihad Club officially announced the release of tickets for the highly anticipated match between the first football team and Al-Ettifaq Club, as part of the sixteenth round of the Saudi Professional League. This step comes as part of Al-Ittihad's preparations to welcome its large fan base to this crucial encounter, where both teams are striving to improve their position in the league standings.
Match date and venue
Al-Ittihad is scheduled to host Al-Ettifaq at 8:30 PM on Friday, January 16th. This match holds special significance due to the long history shared by the two prestigious clubs. Matches between Al-Ittihad and Al-Ettifaq are considered classics of Saudi football, always characterized by intense competition, excitement, and large crowds, especially when played in Jeddah.
A busy schedule and challenges ahead of the summit
Neither team enters this match with complete rest; both face a packed schedule that demands high levels of physical and technical effort. Before hosting Al-Ettifaq, Al-Ittihad will travel to face Al-Kholoud on Friday, January 9th, and then Damac on Tuesday, January 13th. This means the team will play three matches in approximately one week, presenting the coaching staff with the challenge of rotating players and maintaining their fitness levels.
On the other hand, the situation is not much different for “Faris Al-Dahna”, as Al-Ettifaq will be a guest of Al-Najma on Thursday, then host Al-Khaleej in an anticipated eastern derby on Monday, January 12, before heading to Jeddah to face Al-Ittihad at the end of this marathon week.
The teams' positions in the Roshan League and the importance of points
This match comes at a crucial juncture in the league season. Before this round, Al-Ittihad sits in sixth place in the Roshan League standings with 23 points, a position that falls short of the ambitions of the Jeddah-based club's fans, who are hoping for a return to contention for Asian Champions League qualification and a title challenge. Meanwhile, Al-Ettifaq occupies eighth place with 19 points and is striving to close the gap with the leading clubs and move away from the mid-table positions.
Context of sports development in the Kingdom
The Saudi Professional League (SPL) is currently gaining unprecedented media and public attention, not only locally but also regionally and internationally, thanks to the qualitative leap Saudi sports are witnessing and the attraction of some of the world's top stars. Therefore, a match of this magnitude between Al-Ittihad and Al-Ettifaq will be the focus of attention, reflecting the league's improved technical level and the fierce competition between the historic clubs.
