The festive season is still ongoing and in the next few days, we’ll see the final set of fixtures in the Saudi Pro League before they go on their festive break. We’re over half way through the campaign and although many teams know what they’re aiming for, there are bound to be a few twists and turns in the months ahead. Today, we’ll be taking a look at a fun clash between Al Shabab and Al Wehda.
Al Shabab Form GuideWithin the context of the campaign as a whole, Al Shabab had a really strong 2022/23 campaign. They pushed the pace from the word go and across the 30 games, they managed to put together a record that earned them 4th place. However, after finishing 16 points back from the eventual league champions, it’s hard not to look at the end of their stretch and be a little bit disappointed.
After a dramatic 0-0 draw with Al-Ettifaq, Al Shabab were convincingly beaten 5-2 by Al-Nassr in their King Cup of Champions quarter-final. They did go on the road and get a point against Al-Fateh, but against Al-Akhdoud, they picked up their second red card in four games in a 1-0 loss.
Al Wehda Form GuideWhen it comes to the age-old question of success, it’s tough to answer for Al-Wehda. Back in the day, they were recognised as a real consistent force in Saudi football - but that mask has slipped ever so slightly in recent times. They’ve done well to battle their way back up to the top tier, though, and based on recent evidence, we’d say they’re pretty set on staying there.
Following a 2-0 loss to Al-Raed, Al-Wehda rebounded with a nice 2-0 win over Al-Akhdoud. They did fall 2-0 to Al-Hilal on the road but against Al-Riyadh on Christmas Eve, they looked a whole lot better, registering an important 3-1 victory.
Match PredictionThis has the potential to be an electric game between two teams who are really hungry to prove a point and push away from the danger zone. We expect some poor defensive displays at both ends of the pitch, and in terms of a prediction, we’re going to go for over 2.5 goals scored.
