Al-Shabab are currently in fourth place in the Saudi Pro League after the first eight games. Last time out in the league, they returned to winning ways, having lost the previous two. They also won in the King’s Cup on Monday, beating Al-Riyadh in the Round of 16.
Al-Wehda have now been eliminated from the King’s Cup after losing against Al-Qadisiyah. They are in terrible form, having not won in the league since August 28th. In that time, they have conceded three or more goals twice, including a 7-1 defeat to Al-Ittihad.
Predicted Lineup: Abdullah Al-Mayouf; Robert Renan, Wesley Hoedt, Nader Al-Shariri; Hussain Al-Sibyani, Musab Aljuwayr, Majed Kanabah, Cristian Guanca, Mohammed Al-Thani; Abderrazak Hamdallah, Haroune Camara
Having returned to winning ways in the last league game, it is likely that manager Vitor Pereira will keep most of the team the same. Giacomo Bonaventura scored in the King’s Cup on Monday, so he could get a start; however, his goal wasn’t particularly impactful on the result, which could work against him.
Al-Shabab’s most dangerous player is definitely Abderrazak Hamdallah, who has been in Saudi Arabia since 2018. He has played for both Al Nassr and Al Ittihad before joining Al-Shabab in the summer and has managed a total of 186 goals since moving to the country.
Predicted Lineup: Abdulrahman Al-Shammari; Saad Al-Qahtani, Abdullah Al-Hafith, Alexandru Cretu, Saeed Al Mowalad; Juninho Bacuna, Mohamed Al Makahasi; Youssef Amyn, Saad Bguir, Craig Goodwin; Morad Khodari
Al-Wehda’s elimination from the King’s Cup on Monday would have been disappointing but not surprising to their fans considering their form so far this season. Having won just once in the league, they went into that game just above the relegation zone. This season, their defense has been porous at best, letting in a league-high 21 goals in just eight games.
Up top, they haven’t been too bad. Craig Goodwin on the wing has proven to be a reliable player since he signed in 2023. He had played at the club before but rejoined from Adelaide United, where he had three spells since 2014.
In this fixture, Al-Shabab have the slight advantage thanks to their dominance over Al-Wehda between 2018 and 2021. The most recent games between the two sides have been more balanced, but Al-Shabab are expected to secure the three points this time around.
30th Dec 2023 - Al-Shabab 1-0 Al-Wehda - Saudi Pro League
18th Aug 2023 - Al-Wehda 3-1 Al-Shabab - Saudi Pro League
18th May 2023 - Al-Shabab 0-1 Al-Wehda - Saudi Pro League
5th Jan 2023 - Al-Wehda 2-1 Al-Shabab - Saudi Pro League
30th May 2021 - Al-Shabab 3-0 Al-Wehda - Saudi Pro League
While Al-Shabab have scored fewer goals than Al-Wehda so far this season, their defense is really strong and Al-Wehda’s defense is not. The result of this game isn’t likely to be particularly high scoring, but Al-Wehda’s leakiness at the back will mean that there will be more than just one goal.
With all of this in mind, our team of professional experts have decided that the best tip for this game is for Al-Shabab to Win + Over 1.5 Goals.
Odds of 77/100 on Highbet means that a £10 bet could see a potential return of £17.70.
(odds subject to change)
Al-Shabab 2-0 Al-Wehda
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