Two sides wey dey occupy fifth and sixth for Saudi Pro League table go clash for King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on Wednesday evening, as Al Taawoun look to capitalise on Al Ittihad recent struggles and pull further clear of their visitors.
Conceicao side head into the fixture on the back of a defeat to FC Machida Zelvia and go dey eager to return to winning ways on the road.
Al Taawoun don enjoy a positive campaign overall, sitting fifth for Saudi Pro League table with 49 points from 14 wins, seven draws and eight defeats, and dey boast the best attacking record and joint-best defensive record outside the top four with 52 goals scored and 38 conceded.
Any lingering hopes of qualifying for continental football don effectively end by an inconsistent run of results, with Pericles Chamusca side sitting 14 points behind fourth-placed Al Qadsiah with only a handful of matchdays remaining.
Their recent form don be mixed, with two wins, two draws and one defeat from their last five outings, though the most recent of those fixtures produce an encouraging 2-1 victory away from home against Al Najma – a result wey go don lift spirits ahead of Wednesday assignment.
For King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, Al Taawoun don be a difficult side to beat, winning seven and drawing four of their 14 home fixtures, and Chamusca men go dey keen to make that advantage count against a visiting side low on confidence.
Al Ittihad, meanwhile, arrive at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium enduring one of the more difficult periods of their campaign, having won just one of their last four league fixtures to slip to sixth for table with 45 points from 13 wins, six draws and nine defeats.
Sergio Conceicao side look capable of securing a top-four finish at various points during the season, but their form don fall away at a crucial time, and the departures of Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante during the winter window – to Al Hilal and Fenerbahce respectively – appear to don leave a significant void wey the squad don struggle to fill.
Their most recent outing bring further disappointment, with a 1-0 defeat to FC Machida Zelvia for the AFC Champions League adding to the sense of frustration surrounding a club wey don considerably higher expectations at the start of the campaign.
Away from home, Al Ittihad don struggle for consistency, managing four wins, six draws and four defeats from their road fixtures.
With the top four now out of reach, Conceicao go dey focused on ensuring his side end the campaign with some dignity, though that go far from straightforward against a home side with plenty still to play for.
The head-to-head record offer a slight edge to the visitors, with Al Ittihad having claimed three wins from the last five meetings between the sides, the other two ending in draws, while the most recent direct encounter end in a narrow 1-0 victory for the visitors.
Al-Taawoun Saudi Pro League form: DWDDLW. Al Ittihad Saudi Pro League form: DWLLWL. Al Ittihad form (all competitions): LDWLWL.
Al Taawoun come into the fixture with no injury concerns, giving Chamusca a full squad to choose from ahead of Wednesday home clash. Saad Al Mousa remain doubtful, however, having been absent since sustaining an ankle injury in November 2025.
Mohammed Al Dossari and Qassem Lajami dey expected to form part of the defensive unit, with Andrei Girotto and Mohammed Mahzari also likely to feature at the back in front of Maylson in goal.
Angelo Fulgini and Aschraf El Mahdioui dey set to operate in central midfield alongside Flavio, with Marin Petkov and Roger Martinez expected to provide creativity and attacking threat from advanced positions.
Al Ittihad don no fresh injury concerns heading into Wednesday fixture, with Conceicao able to call upon a largely settled squad for the game.
Predrag Rajkovic dey expected to continue in goal, with Danilo Pereira, Stephane Keller and Mario Mitaj likely to line up in defence, while Fabinho and Houssem Aouar should anchor the midfield.
Moussa Diaby and Steven Bergwijn dey set to provide width and pace from the flanks, with Youssef En-Nesyri expected to lead the line as Al Ittihad look to rediscover their best form on the road.
Al-Taawoun possible starting lineup: Maylson; Al Dossari, Lajami, Girotto, Mahzari; Fulgini, El Mahdioui, Flavio; Petkov, Martinez, Al Kuwaykibi.
Al Ittihad possible starting lineup: Rajkovic; Pereira, Keller, Mitaj; Al-Shanqeeti, Fabinho, Kadesh; Diaby, Aouar, Bergwijn; En-Nesyri.
Chamusca side don make life difficult for opponents at home this season and go look to end their campaign on a positive note in front of their own supporters.
However, Al Ittihad carry enough quality in the final third to find a way through, and we dey back Conceicao men to claim all three points on the road.
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