Al Kholood (home)
- Al Kholood will be looking to improve on a mediocre performance in the early stages of the Profesional League 2025/2026 season when they host Al-Ettifaq Dammam on Saturday.
- Des Buckingham’s side are 12th in the standings with 15 points from 16 games.
- The head coach has failed to put together a consistent run of wins since taking over at Al Kholood in August 2025.
- The Hornets have won just one of their last five with a tie and three defeats, failing to win either of their previous two home games and losing to Al Ahli in a close 0-1 defeat three days ago.
- They average 1.38 goals per home match.
- They have conceded 2.12 goals per home match so far this term.
Al-Ettifaq Dammam (away)
- Saad Al-Shehri sets his team up to be a difficult team to break down with his compact, counter-attacking style.
- He has made the Blue Wings a tough nut to crack since taking over in January 2025, with a clear defensive structure and counter-attacking edge helping them towards seventh in the table with 25 points from 15 assignments.
- The visitors have three wins in their last five, two of which came in succession away from home, including a gritty 1-0 win at Al Ittihad just four days ago.
- Georginio Wijnaldum is in fine form, bagging nine goals in 14 league games, including four in their last five matches.
- They average 1.86 goals scored and 1.57 conceded per away match in the league.
Head-to-Head
- Al Kholood have won two of the last three meetings against Al-Ettifaq Dammam (L1), with no ties.
- Al-Ettifaq Dammam have never won at Al Kholood.
- Al-Ettifaq Dammam have won four of their seven away assignments in the competition.
Key Players
- Georginio Wijnaldum - 9 goals in 14 league games, including four in their last five.
- Ramiro Enrique - 7 goals in 14.
Betting Insights
- Al-Ettifaq Dammam are the narrow favorites at 2.31.
- Al Kholood are 2.7 and the tie is 3.25.
- Over 2.5 goals is available at 1.78 and stands out given both teams have been scoring and conceding at a high rate.
- Al-Ettifaq average 1.86 goals scored and 1.57 conceded per away match in the league.
Prediction
- A close and competitive match seems likely.
- Al-Ettifaq Dammam will feel they can edge it given their away form and Wijnaldum’s scoring run.
