Saudi Pro League Preview: Al-Shabab with Best Defense Hosts Al-Ittihad Looking to End Losing Streak

At 22:50 on October 31, the 9th round of the 2024/25 Saudi Professional League will see Al-Shabab host Al-Ittihad.

Al-Shabab has had a stunning start to the season. After 8 league matches, they have accumulated 15 points and are ranked 4th, just 3 points behind Al-Hilal, who are in the AFC Champions League zone. Al-Shabab aims to build on their 8th-place finish last season. Coach Vítor Pereira took over from Biscan in early February and is making a strong push for continental competition this season.

Previously, Al-Shabab had lost two consecutive league matches against Damac and Al-Hilal, but they managed to bounce back by defeating Al-Orobah and Al-Riyadh in the league and the Saudi Crown Cup, respectively, avoiding an early-season collapse. Despite the recent losses, Al-Shabab’s strength lies in their defense: they have conceded the fewest goals in the entire Saudi Pro League, even one fewer than league leaders Al-Hilal. In the 10 matches across all competitions this season, only Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Hilal has managed to score more than once against Al-Shabab.

Al-Ittihad currently has 6 points and is ranked 15th in the league, not far from their 13th-place finish last season. They lead the bottom-placed Al-Faisaly by just 2 points, and their performance has not significantly improved compared to last season.

Three days ago, Al-Ittihad lost 1-2 to Al-Qadisiyah in the Saudi Crown Cup, exiting at the second round. Currently, Al-Ittihad is on a losing streak in both the league and the Crown Cup, with the team in low spirits. In fact, after winning 1 and drawing 1 in the first 2 league matches, they have recorded only 3 draws and 5 losses in the remaining 8 matches across all competitions, including a 1-7 defeat to Al-Ahli, a particularly devastating loss. Al-Ittihad has also conceded the most goals in the league, 21 in total, at least 5 more than any other team.

In terms of personnel, Al-Shabab boasts former Guangzhou R&F player Hamdallah. The Moroccan striker, after leaving the Chinese Super League, played in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, moving between Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli, and has scored 186 goals in the Saudi League. This summer, Hamdallah joined Al-Shabab and has already made 6 appearances across all competitions, scoring 4 goals and providing 2 assists. Italian veteran Bonaventura, who scored in the Crown Cup, is likely to start again, but the team will be without the injured local winger Mowallad.

On the Al-Ittihad side, Albishi and Al-Aziz are unavailable, but well-known to Chinese fans, Goodwin has scored 2 goals in 7 league matches, matching the output of former Shanghai Shenhua player Ighalo. Kaduri, who transferred from Al-Nassr, has scored 3 goals and is the team’s top scorer.

This match is a highly anticipated clash between the team with the best defense and the team with the worst defense. However, based on form and strength, Al-Shabab clearly has the upper hand. Will Al-Shabab extend their winning streak or will Al-Ittihad end their losing run? The answer will be revealed tonight.

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