Al Wehda vs Al-Ittihad

Defending Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad travel to the King Abdul Aziz Stadium to meet in-form Al Wehda.

Unlike some of their more prominent Saudi Pro League counterparts, including the upcoming rivals Al-Itthad, Al Wehda’s only two high-profile signings include Odion Ighalo and Jawad El Yamiq. But even without premium additions, the ‘Knights of Mecca’ have bounced back from a 1-0 defeat at Al Riyadh on the opening weekend with back-to-back wins over Al Shabab and Al Taee, both of which saw them score precisely three goals. Particularly dangerous late in the first half, they’ve netted three times between the 30th minute and halftime, which could be a timeframe where they could hurt Al-Ittihad. But it’s a long shot, considering Giorgos Donis’ men have lost their last five H2Hs across all competitions since a 2-1 away league win in March 2020.

In the meantime, Al-Ittihad’s title defense has been off to a flyer, with Karim Benzema inspiring the reigning champions to a perfect three-game Saudi Pro League start (W3). All those wins came by 2+ goals ‘to nil’ and saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s team get on the scoresheet beyond the 70-minute mark, highlighting the potential for a dramatic finish. Despite soaking up the limelight as Al-Ittihad’s headline performer ahead of ex-Chelsea and Liverpool stars N’Golo Kante and Fabinho, Benzema isn’t the club’s most prolific forward. Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah tops the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with four goals, with three of his four strikes coming away from home. With Al-Ittihad claiming six wins on their last seven competitive visits to Al Wehda (L1), he’ll be confident of adding to his tally.