Both Al Tai and Al Ittihad can end a three-match losing run in the Saudi Pro League on Friday when the two sides square off at Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium in Ha'il.
Last week, Faris Al Shamal fell to 14th in the table, just a point above the relegation line with a 3-0 defeat at Damac, while the reigning league champions conceded three second-half strikes on Boxing Day, losing 5-2 to Al-Nassr, moving down to sixth in the table.
Match preview
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A month which began promisingly for the club from Ha'il has turned into the same old same old, with Al Tai on a three-match losing run despite winning consecutive league fixtures before that.
Consistency has not been the strong suit of this side lately, with this team winning consecutive domestic affairs only once since May of last season while losing three or more successive encounters four times.
Their home form is keeping them above the relegation line, with Al Tai winning four times at Prince Abdul Aziz Musa'ed Stadium while claiming just four points away from home in this competition.
Laurentiu Reghecampf's side are flirting with relegation but could also climb up the table quickly, with only three points separating them from Al Fayha in 11th.
While they have struggled to string together positive results, they have kept their share of matches close, losing four domestic affairs by a single goal this season and conceding the winner in stoppage time on two occasions.
All but three of their points claimed in the Saudi top flight this season have come when they were either even or in front after 45 minutes, with their previous home triumph taking place on November 24, despite being behind versus Al Raed 2-1 at the half (4-3 victory).
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It seems like Al Ittihad need a break from football in the worst way, losing four of their last five matches in all competitions.
Their chances of repeating as league champions are fading, with Al-Numoor currently 22 points behind the leaders Al-Hilal with only a dozen matches remaining.
Marcelo Gallardo will have a lot of time to ponder how to get this team back on the right path for the stretch run following this encounter, with their subsequent league fixture happening on February 15.
Over their current three-match domestic losing run, Al Ittihad have come out flat in the second half, scoring only once in the final 45 minutes of their previous three league fixtures while conceding six times.
Al Ittihad have allowed 26 goals to this point of the 2023-24 domestic campaign, twice as many as they gave up in their title-winning campaign a season ago.
They have captured four of their last five meetings with Al Tai in the Saudi Pro League, failing to concede in any of those victories.
Team News
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Bernard Mensah will not be available for Al Tai after receiving a pair of cautions in their defeat to Damac, while Abdulkarim Al-Sultan is suspected of suffering a cruciate ligament injury.
Tariq Mohammed is the last player to find the back of the net for them in a domestic encounter, netting on December 8 in a 2-1 defeat to Al-Hilal.
Al Ittihad will be without Fabinho, who received a pair of yellow cards in the defeat to Al-Nassr, Ahmed Bamsaud is dealing with a knock, while Omar Hawsawi, Luiz Felipe, Ahmed Hegazi and Suwailem Al-Manhali have unknown injuries.
Abderrazak Hamdallah had a brace in their defeat to Al-Nassr, his ninth and 10th goals of the domestic campaign, moving ahead of Karim Benzema for the team lead with the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner failing to net in his last three league contests.
Al Tai possible starting lineup:
Braga; Mohammed, Al-Nakhli, Roco, Majrashi; Cordea, Semedo, Bauer, Al-Moasher; Dugandzic, Al-Shamlan
Al Ittihad possible starting lineup:
Al-Mayouf; Al-Sahafi, Sharahili, Z. Hawsawi; Kante, Al-Ghamdi; Romarinho, Hamdallah, Al-Farhan, Coronado; Benzema
We say: Al Tai 1-3 Al Ittihad
Neither side are in great form at the moment, but Al Ittihad have the personnel to turn things around quickly, whereas Al Tai seem to be crumbling with every match.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
