Al Riyadh take on the visitors Al Ettifaq in the round 11 match of Saudi Professional League. The match will be played on Thursday, December 25th at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium (Riyadh).
Al-Riyadh showed something only at the end of the last century, in the 1990s — that was the only time they became champions and won cup trophies, even at an all-Arab level. Since then, they have never come close to those heights again, at best managing to survive in the country’s top division. Last season, for example, they finished only 12th in the final Saudi Pro League table. In an attempt to improve, Javier Calleja was appointed in the summer. However, in the new cup cycle they were eliminated by the second opponent already, losing 0–2 to Al-Fateh. In the league, defeats have largely dominated, even though the team has managed to stay just above the relegation zone. In the previous round against Al-Ettifaq, they lost again, albeit by a narrow margin, finishing 1–2 away in Jeddah. Recent performances suggest that Al-Riyadh still struggle to find consistency across competitions. Their home results also indicate that even familiar surroundings do not yet provide a clear advantage.
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Al-Ettifaq remain a mid-table side this season as well. The Knights of Ad-Dahna had their peak back in the 1980s. After that came a steady decline into secondary roles. Last season, they finished seventh — once again missing out on qualification for international tournaments. This time around, results have been similarly modest: by winter, they had recorded three wins, three draws, and three defeats. In the cup, after allowing modest Al-Batin to equalize deep into stoppage time, they eventually lost on penalties. In the latest league round against Al-Fayha, things were far from smooth, as they conceded twice at home. Still, they managed to secure a long-awaited victory there, winning 3–2. Overall form shows that Al-Ettifaq are capable of edging close matches but rarely dominate their opponents. Their away performances, in particular, underline a cautious and pragmatic approach rather than outright control.
In the 2024–2025 season, across the last three meetings, Al-Ettifaq recorded two home wins, while the match in Riyadh ended in a draw. Slightly more faith goes to the visitors, although they are certainly not without issues themselves. The recommended option is to back Al-Ettifaq to win away with a “draw no bet” handicap.
Prediction for the match: Al Ettifaq to win with 0.0 handicap.
