Al Ittihad will aim to bounce back from their disappointing loss on Monday when they welcome Al Kholood for gameweek 18 of Saudi Pro League.
The People's Club are coming off a 2-1 defeat on their trip to Damac, though that setback had no effect on their position in the standings.
Match preview
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Despite a frustrating night at Al Mahala Stadium, Al Ittihad can take solace in the fact that fellow title contender Al Hilal also stumbled, suffering a shock defeat to Al Quadisiya, as both teams remain tied on 43 points, with Laurent Blanc's side still trailing the league leaders on goal difference.
After falling behind to a 17th-minute opener from Georges-Kevin N'Koudou, the People's Club would have felt they were in a position to push for all three points when Karim Benzema restored parity on the brink of half time, only to be dealt a crushing blow as the former completed his brace in the 94th minute, securing victory for Damac.
That defeat ended Nadi Al Watan's 15-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, with their last loss coming over four months ago against Al Hilal – the first of just two in 17 league matches.
Nadi Al Shaab will be particularly confident of returning to winning ways against this weekend's visitors, having edged them 1-0 in the reverse fixture – their only previous meeting in the top flight – courtesy of Houssem Aouar's dramatic 94th-minute winner in a fiercely contested encounter.
The hosts have been unstoppable on their own turf this season, winning all nine league matches, making them the best home side in the division.
Meanwhile, Al Kholood have enjoyed an upturn in form recently, securing their fourth win in six matches following a 2-1 comeback victory at home against Al Raed last weekend.
Fakhr Ar Rass fought back from a goal down after Amir Sayoud's 25th-minute opener, with Mohammed Sawaan equalising in the 61st minute before Aliou Dieng sealed a hard-fought victory that lifted them to 11th place with 19 points, five clear of the relegation zone.
Manager Noureddine Zekri will be delighted with his team's resurgence, especially considering they had managed just one win in their previous 11 league matches and 12 across all competitions.
Al Kholood have shown clear improvement on the road as well, winning two of their last three away fixtures after just one victory in their previous six.
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Team News
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Al Ittihad welcomed back Moussa Diaby, who made his first appearance in over two months, coming off the bench for a 27-minute cameo last time out.
However, the hosts remain without Ahmed Sharahili (cruciate ligament), Abdulaziz Al Bishi (hamstring) and Abdulelah Al Amri (torn muscle fibre), all sidelined through injury.
Benzema, having scored in each of his last three outings, now sits on 13 goals in the top flight — one behind leading scorer Cristiano Ronaldo — and will be eager to extend his run as he chases the Golden Boot.
Al Kholood travel to Jeddah with a fully-fit squad and no fresh injury concerns or suspensions, giving manager Zekri a wealth of options to choose from.
The 60-year-old gaffer could name an unchanged starting XI, with Sawaan expected to lead the line once again following his impressive performance against Al Raed, where he netted the equaliser.
Dieng, who also scored in that game, will take his place in midfield, while the club's top scorer in the Pro League, Myziane Maolida, will look to rediscover his touch in front of goal after going three games without scoring
Al Ittihad possible starting lineup:
Rajkovic; Al Shanqeeti, Al Mousa, Pereira, Kadesh; Kante, Fabinho; Al Obod, Aouar, Bergwijn; Benzema
Al Kholood possible starting lineup:
Grohe; Al Hawsawi, Troost-Ekong, Gyomber, Al Shamrani; Alex Collado, N'Doram, Dieng; Al Hammami, Samili, Maolida
We say: Al Ittihad 4-1 Al Kholood
Despite Al Kholood's resurgence, Al Ittihad remain favourites due to their strong form this season, with their recent defeat seen as a mere blip, and we expect them to return to winning ways this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
