Al-Ahli will host Al-Hilal at the King Abdullah Sports City on Friday in another round of the 2023-24 Saudi Professional League campaign.
The home side have had mixed results in the league this year but remain hopeful of securing continental football at the end of the campaign. They played out a 1-1 draw against Al-Wehda in their last match, falling behind early after the restart before former Roma man Roger Ibanez headed home a late leveler for Al-Raqi.
Al-Ahli sit third in the league table with 52 points from 27 games. They are five points above fourth-placed Al-Ittihad and will be looking to widen that gap on Friday.
Al-Hilal, meanwhile, are enjoying an historic season and are going full steam ahead in pursuit of a record 19th Saudi Pro League title. They beat Al-Khaleej 4-1 in their last league outing, with three different players getting on the scoresheet for Jorge Jesus' men including Malcom, who netted a brace.
The visitors sit comfortably atop the league table with 77 points and will be looking to extend their winning streak on Friday.
Al-Ahli vs Al-Hilal Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Friday's game will mark the 80th meeting between Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal. The hosts have won 20 of their previous matchups while the visitors have won 32 times. There have been 17 draws between the two teams.
- The visitors are undefeated in their last five games in this fixture.
- The hosts are without a clean sheet in their last four games in this fixture.
- Al-Hilal are the highest-scoring side in the Saudi Arabian top flight this season with a goal tally of 83.
- Al-Raqi have the second-best defensive record in the league this season with a goal concession tally of 28.
Al-Ahli vs Al-Hilal Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
Al-Ahli are on a three-game unbeaten streak although they have won just two of their last six matches. They have won just three of their last eight games at King Abdullah Sports City and could struggle here.
Al-Hilal, meanwhile, are on an outstanding 34-game winning streak stretching back to last September and have not lost a competitive game across all competitions since last August. They are in far better form than their opponents ahead of the weekend clash and should come out on top here.
Prediction: Al-Ahli 1-3 Al-Hilal
Al-Ahli vs Al-Hilal Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Al-Hilal to win
Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Five of the last seven matches between the two teams have produced more than 2.5 goals)
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: YES (Both sides have found the back of the net in six of their last seven matchups)