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Our Al Hilal predicted lineup vs Al-Khaleej looks into how the Blue Waves can thrive without the injured Neymar and whether Malcom can inspire the Saudi Pro League leaders to a win at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium.
Al Hilal Predicted Lineup vs Al-Khaleej
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Saudi Pro League team news
Jorge Jesus’ men will be eager to maintain their winning run to keep control of the league title race. However, the Blue Waves suffered a massive blow during the international break, as inspired summer signing Neymar picked up a nasty injury in Brazil’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay. He had to be stretchered off after badly hurting his knee, and is unlikely to be back in action anytime soon for the Saudi heavyweights.
Fortunately for Jorge Jesus, no other important first-team member was injured in the international break, and all of them should be available for the games ahead. He is also blessed to have a really strong squad with other high-quality forwards, who will now be determined to prove that they can dominate even without Neymar’s presence.
Predicted Lineup
Yassine Bounou (GK), Saud Abdulhamid, Kalidou Koulibaly, Al Abdulayhi, Yasser Alshahrani, Mohamed Kanno, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Micheal, Malcom, Salem Aldawsari, Aleksandar Mitrovic
Al Hilal Predicted Lineup vs Al-Khaleej – Our top three
Aleksandar Mitrovic – Serbian goal machine determined to get scoring again
Ever since arriving from Fulham in the summer transfer window, Mitrovic has been a superb addition to Al Hilal. He’s scored six goals in seven Saudi Pro League games and is excelling in the frontline. He might face stiff marking from Argentine defender Lisandro Lopez, who could look to be aggressive to rattle the striker.
Mitrovic needs to keep his temper in check though, and put his unpredictable style to good use. He will look to lose his marker and get into the key areas and put away whatever created chances clinically to improve his goal tally.
Malcom – Can fellow Brazilian cover for Neymar?
The injury setback for Neymar means that Brazilian midfielder Malcom should get more game time in the attacking midfield role. He is flying high this season with nine-goal contributions in as many league games for Al Hilal. Malcom will need to be smart to lose sight of Al-Khaleej midfielder Jung Woo-young and get the ball into the empty spaces.
The 26-year-old is a creative and dangerous player in the final third, being able to unleash unstoppable shots on goal and create chances with his clever passes – something he aims to do to light things up against Al-Khaleej.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – Midfield engine looks to add to bigger goal threat
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is flying high for Al Hilal and seems to love the freedom afforded to him. He is likely to play with utmost freedom in the upcoming game and should operate much higher than usual. Milinkovic-Savic is not just impressive with recovering possession and helping with build-up play, but also provides a major threat in the final third.
He can sneak into open areas out of nowhere and is blessed with an emphatic shooting ability. The Serbian midfielder will look to help Al Hilal dominate possession in this and also make a difference with his clever final delivery.
Will Ruben Neves start vs Al-Khaleej?
With a lot of games ahead, Jorge Jesus might want to rotate his side a little bit and might start Mohamed Kanno over Ruben Neves. The Portuguese midfielder isn’t vital for this game and Kanno’s presence can help Milinkovic-Savic play much higher up the field and improve Al Hilal’s goal-scoring threat.
Al Hilal Predicted Lineup vs Al-Khaleej – The final word
Al Hilal are determined to start their run of games after the October break with a big win. Despite the absence of Neymar, the Blue Waves still have enough firepower and attacking influence to easily vanquish a side in the lower half of the Saudi Pro League table and produce a thrilling display.
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