The Saudi Pro League (SPL), in the last two seasons, has become a fertile competing ground for cash-rich sides, with some of football’s biggest superstars plying their trade in Asia for hefty salaries.
In the last two years, the value of the league has multiplied 224 times, from 314 million euros to 1.02 billion euros, with stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema featuring in the league.
On Saturday, two of the most expensive sides in this league will go head-to-head, with Al Ittihad (squad valued at €119.38m) hosting Al Hilal (squad valued at €178.50m) at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium here in what could be a potential title-decider.
Led by Ballon d’Or winner Benzema, who moved to SPL for a reported wage of a whopping 100 million euros a year last season, Al Ittihad has been on a roll this season.
Karim Benzema waves to fans during his presentation as the new signing for Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Karim Benzema waves to fans during his presentation as the new signing for Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
It currently sits atop the points table, four points clear of defending champion Al Hilal, and will be raring to increase the gap with a win.
“It’s a huge game for us as well as the fans. Al Ittihad and Al Hilal have shared a long-standing history of being rivals, and our players are motivated to give their best. We are prepared to not just play against them but to win the match. My top priority right now is to win the game against them, and I hope my players have the same mentality,” said Al Ittihad coach Laurent Blanc in the pre-match press conference.
If Al Ittihad crosses the Al Hilal barrier, it could be smooth sailing for the rest of the season.
Out of the 14 games remaining, nine of them are against teams that are not currently in the top five, including two against relegation-threatened sides Al Fateh and Al Akhdoud.
Al Ittihad, which clinched the league title in 2023, finished fifth in the league last season, with no silverware in its cabinet. However, the tides have turned since the start of the 2024 season, with the appointment of former Paris Saint-Germain boss Blanc as the club’s head coach.
With a host of new signings in the 2024 summer transfer window, Al Ittihad bolstered its squad with the likes of Moussa Diaby, who tops the list of most assists so far this season with 11. Dutch international Steven Bergwijn, who also joined the club earlier this season, has been in red-hot form, scoring eight goals and assisting six times in 18 games.
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“One reason for the change is the players we brought, Moussa (Diaby) and Steven (Bergwijn), to name a few. But I don’t think we can single out an aspect of improvement from last year. It’s a continuous effort to get better, and we are happy with where we are currently,” Blanc said.
Al Hilal’s attack, on the other hand, has been firing on all cylinders. Marcos Leonardo, who was roped in from Benfica ahead of this season, has scored 13 goals, with at least one goal contribution in his last eight league games.
He has found support through the likes of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Salem Aldawsari, both of whom have 10-plus goal involvements in the league.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic of Al Hilal FC warms up prior to a Saudi Pro League match between Al Hilal and Al Riyadh at Kingdom Arena.
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Getty Images
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic of Al Hilal FC warms up prior to a Saudi Pro League match between Al Hilal and Al Riyadh at Kingdom Arena.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images
But Blanc’s men will be geared up to meet the defending champion with equal quality, having a backline flexible enough to accommodate wingbacks while facing a high-pressing team like Al Hilal.
Their defensive effectiveness has been reflected in the numbers this season, as they have the second-best goal difference this season so far.
Additionally, Benzema has been the catalyst in his team’s success so far, with 15 goals and seven assists in 17 matches. He has already surpassed his tally of 10 goals in his debut SPL season.
“I’m sure we’ve not seen the best of him (Benzema). Because a player of his profile scores a lot of goals, and that’s exactly what he’s been doing for us. He’s been doing this for a very long time and from a very young age, like what you see in (Kylian) Mbappe now. Karim scoring a lot of goals is not a surprise for me,” Blanc remarked on his star striker.
“To have a player like Karim or (Cristiano) Ronaldo, a coach has to be lucky; I think I’m lucky in that sense,” he added.
The teams have faced each other twice this season. The first one went in 3-1 in favour of Al Hilal, but their latest encounter in the King’s Cup quarterfinal saw Al Ittihad win 3-1 in penalties, and Benzema’s men will hope for a similar result this weekend.
