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At the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium, Abha and Al Ettifaq are gearing up for a Saudi Pro League showdown on Saturday afternoon.
Al Ettifaq, boosted by their recent 3-1 triumph over Damac, seeks to climb the league ladder, with just five points separating them from the top spot, held by Al Ittihad who played a game more.
In contrast, Abha is eager to bounce back after a narrow 1-0 loss to Al Taee. With a history of closely contested matches, both teams are hungry for points. On their home turf, Abha hopes to secure another victory thanks to home advantage.
Abha vs Al Ettifaq Predicted Lineups and News
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After five matches, the visiting team is in a strong position to challenge league leaders Al Ittihad. A victory against Abha on Saturday would bring them within just two points of the top spot.
On the flip side, Abha finds themselves in mid-table, facing a challenging stretch with three losses in their last five games and a struggle to string together consecutive victories. Their recent encounter against Al Ta’ee ended in a narrow defeat, courtesy of a late goal by Andrei Cordea.
A victory against a formidable Ettifaq would not only propel them higher in the standings but also provide some much-needed breathing space.
Congratulations to our player Ekambi for qualifying with his country for the 2024 African Cup of Nations 🦁🇨🇲#ABHA pic.twitter.com/FdKTKVHmK1
— AbhaFc_EN 🇸🇦 (@Abhafc_english) September 13, 2023
Team News: Abha
Abha’s Karl Toko Ekambi made a memorable debut by scoring in his first game and aims to continue his scoring form after the international break.
Saad Dguir, sidelined due to a knock, may return to action. Additionally, the recent loan addition, Ziyad Al Sahafi, might make his debut, possibly facing his former club in the upcoming match.
Abha Predicted Lineup
Tătăruşanu; Saleh Al Qumayzi, Fabián Noguera, Zakaria Al-Sudani, Mohammed Naji; Saad Alselouli, Uroš Matić, Grzegorz Krychowiak, François Kamano; Ahmed Abdu, Karl Toko Ekambi.
Merseyside to Dammam ✈️
Familiar sight, @LFC? 🤩#Ettifaq | @JHenderson | @GWijnaldum pic.twitter.com/7LekLOCauz
— Ettifaq Club (@Ettifaq_EN) September 14, 2023
Team News: Al Ettifaq
Al Ettifaq’s new signing, Demarai Gray, may make his debut for the away side, having recently joined from Everton. Meanwhile, Moussa Dembele has been in impressive form, netting four goals in his first five matches since signing with the team. His performance makes him a player to watch in this matchup.
Photo by Icon Sport
Abha faces a challenge with the absence of key midfielder Faisal Al Ghamdi, who was sold to Al Ittihad and won’t be available for the match. However, fans can anticipate the debut of Georginio Wijnaldum, adding intrigue to their lineup.
Al Ettifaq Predicted Lineup
Paulo Victor; Hamdan Al-Shammrani, Abdullah Khateeb, Jack Hendry, Mohamed Abdulrahman; Ali Abdullah Hazazi; Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Mohammed Al-Kuwaykibi, Robin Quaison; Moussa Dembélé.
Photo by Icon Sport
Will Wijnaldum Make His Debut?
Wijnaldum, who joined Al Ettifaq on September 2, has yet to make his debut. With the departure of their key midfielder Al Ghamdi to Al Ittihad on Sep 7, this could be the opportunity for Steven Gerrard to test his new signing. Local fans are too eager to see their new star player in their team colors.
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