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Al Tai will invite Al Ittihad to the Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium in their final Saudi Pro League match of the year on Saturday.
The host have suffered three defeats in a row and fell to a 3-0 loss to Damac last week. Bernard Mensah was sent off in injury time after picking up his second booking of the match and is suspended for the clash against the reigning champions.
The visitors have also lost three games on the trot in the league. In their previous outing, Karim Benzema locked horns against his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, as Al Ittihad met Al Nassr on Tuesday. Benzema assisted Abderrazak Hamdallah's 14th-minute opener but Al Nassr fought back well to secure a 5-2 win.
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With league action on hiatus until February on account of the winter break, both teams will look to sign off for the year with a win.
Al Tai vs Al Ittihad Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have crossed paths 25 times in all competitions thus far. The visitors have dominated proceedings against their northern rivals with 20 wins. The hosts have four wins in this fixture and just one meeting has ended in a stalemate.
- The visitors secured a league double over the hosts last season, with an aggregate score of 3-0. They made it three wins on the trot with a 2-0 home win in the reverse fixture in August.
- Al Ittihad are winless in their last five away games in the Saudi Pro League, suffering two defeats. Interestingly, they have conceded 11 times in their last three league games while scoring just four times in that period.
- Four of Al Tai's five wins in the league this season have come at home. Interestingly, all four of their wins against the visitors have also come in home meetings.
Al Tai vs Al Ittihad Prediction
Faris Al Shamal have lost three games on the trot, failing to score in their last two in that period. Interestingly, they have scored in all but one of their eight home games in the league this season, with 14 of their 20 goals being scored at home.
Top-scorer Bernard Mensah will serve a one-game suspension in this match, which will be a huge blow for the hosts. Abdulfattah Asiri was absent from the squad last week and is a doubt for the match.
The Tigers have lost four of their last five games across all competitions and will be gunning to regain form ahead of the winter break. They trail the league leaders by 22 points, so it is highly unlikely that they'll be able to retain their title this season.
Head coach Marcelo Gallardo will not be able to count on the services of Fabinho, who was red-carded in their loss to Al Nassr. Ahmed Sharahili, Zakaria Al Hawsawi, Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti, and Abdullah Al Jadani are expected to be sidelined through injuries.
The last five meetings between the two teams have produced fewer than 2.5 goals and the hosts will be without their top scorer in this match. With that in mind and considering their poor run of form, a low-scoring draw might ensue.
Prediction: Al Tai 1-1 Al Ittihad
Al Tai vs Al Ittihad Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Karim Benzema to score or assist any time - Yes
