Al-Qadsiah Al Khubar
- Al-Qadsiah Al Khubar are flying, unbeaten in five matches in all competitions, scoring 15 goals in the last five.
- Al-Qadsiah are three points ahead of 6th-placed Al-Ittihad in the table after 14 games, but Al-Ittihad have played one game more.
- Brendan Rodgers’ attacking philosophy is already bearing fruit in terms of results and style at Al-Qadsiah, who have gone from battlers to a possession-based, passing side in a matter of months.
Al-Ittihad
- Al-Ittihad have been prolific but inconsistent, including a recent 4-0 away win and a 1-1 draw at Damac.
- Al-Ittihad like to play at a high tempo, press in the attacking third and look to play vertically, releasing their explosive attacking talent with full backs overlapping and wingers cutting inside to support Karim Benzema.
Head-to-Head
The last King’s Cup final between the clubs, won 3-1 by Al-Ittihad , is likely to add some spice to proceedings.
Al-Ittihad
- Karim Benzema was in top form last week, netting a hat-trick in the 4-0 victory.
- N’Golo Kanté and Fabinho give the team a ball-winning midfield foundation, while Moussa Diaby’s pace and willingness to cut inside from wide areas make the Jeddah club tick.
Al-Qadsiah Al Khubar
- Julián Quiñones is in even hotter form for Al-Qadsiah than Benzema, having netted double-digit league goals and bagging a recent hat-trick, so he is the dangerman to watch for the hosts.
- Mateo Retegui’s hold-up play and penalty-taking ability is the perfect foil to Quiñones’ pace and movement, while the duo have been instrumental in Al-Qadsiah’s purple patch.
Betting Insights
The bookmakers make these two sides almost even at 2.42 to win, with the draw at 3.52 , and over 2.5 goals is priced at 1.53 .
Prediction
- There is a battle of philosophies at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium on Thursday between a patient, possession-based Al-Qadsiah and a vertical, intense Al-Ittihad.
- Al-Ittihad need three points to reignite their title chase after inconsistent away performances.
- Given both sides are in goal-scoring form and the likely fast pace, a high-scoring draw or a narrow win either way seems the most likely outcome.
