For a variety of reasons, it is clear that the Saudi Pro League game between Al-Hilal and Al-Raed, which was set to hold on December 7, 2024, has captured so much popularity.
Due to the recent troubles encountered by Al-Hilal, the players that are reportedly in the team, and the fact that the match would be held to resolve the league table, a lot of anticipation has surrounded this match. The match has also seen the interest of fans within and outside the country because of Al-Hilal wanting to make amends and because they have a good team despite the huge absences.
Recent Challenges for Al-Hilal
Al Halal which had been one of the top clubs within the Saudi Arabia region, faced a lot of challenges recently and that led to their downfall. The team loss to Al Khaleej so it was not a surprise that the team was eventually knocked out of one of their winning streaks of 46 matches. As a result of this loss, the team began to plummet within the Saudi Pro League. Because a team of Al-Hilal’s caliber seldom suffers first to first defeats such publicity became the norm.
One more Saudi Arabian football club, Al-Hilal F.C. has to join the list of great teams to ever feature in the league among which includes the likes of asterisks soccer and… Al-Ahli Jeddah, beating them convincingly thanks to its investments on the squad and several of league titles It could be remembered that Al-Raed game is an important game that must be won by Al-Hilal, however, the sense of losing grips over their film like supremacy during the recent test sessions puts a lot of pressure on them. Moreover Al-Hilal still remains competitive and not to be written off as they do have Malcom and Aleksandar Mitrovic who are capable of flexing any game in a snap.
Injury and Absence of Key Players
It gets more interesting into the mix considering that not only did a huge portion of Al-Hilal key players not show up for this bout but it also meant that majority of them were injured too. Kalidou Koulibaly, who had been brought in from Chelsea as a star Defender misses this encounter after being sent off in the second leg. Among the absentee players of Al-Hilal will include Neymar and Ruben Neves due to shoulder and knee injuries respectively.
There is a concern as to whether Al-Hilal can deliver their best without those star players especially that there was no Neves to control the midfield, Niang to spearhead the offense and Koulibali to shield the goal. Under these conditions, it has been just a matter of time before Al-Hilal’s patience got really tested and more so in matches against teams who wish to exploit their weaknesses.
Nevertheless, Al-Hilal has been able to sustain its dominance as a football club. With the likes of a fully fit Malcom and a in form Mitrovic who has been performing well, the club is capable of beating teams even the likes of Al-Raed.
Al-Raed’s Faction Involvement In The Game And Recent Performance
However, this season hasn’t been good for Al-Raed in terms of achievements. Urged to the lower side of the league standing when they lost one-nil goals to Al Taawon. Al-Raed are having difficulties in trying to pick speed after registering one win in their preceding five matches. These losses however have not diminished their hope of bringing down the Asian Football Confederation holders, Al-Hilal especially now that they are struggling without some of their key players. One of the players who can capitalize on Al-Hilal injuries is Al-Raed’s El Berkaoui, who is an impressive attacker.
The most likely way for Al-Raed to get a goal in this game is through the gaps left by Al-Hilal’s missing players. Generating attack with well structured techniques and waiting for the opportunities that the champions will present them will be a strong hallmark of the team. This match offers the opportunity for the underdog to earn points which would benefit them greatly in the future as they can bring in their reputation looking to get even after that heavy loss to Al-Hilal.
Complete Strategy and Overview of the Group
The victory of Al-Hilal in the conquest of al-Yasrebi is very important for Al-Hilal. Following the defeat during their last outing, they will want to show that it was just a slip. On this note, their supporters and analysts do expect success when they take center stage, given their strong squad and overall successes. The game is by no means certain, however, given the absence of key players and a decline in recent form.
The match offers Al Raed an opportunity to achieve a remarkable achievement and register a better standing within the league. While Al Hilal is a stronger, attractive side of the league, their absence from the match gives Al Raed the chance to earn three points and be in a position to draw level on points within the mid-table.
Finally, as the contest between Al-Hilal and Al-Raed progress, it would be interesting to see if Al-Hilal’s ineptitude and lack of injured stars makes a difference for an upset led by Al-Raed. Considering how the EB and Al-Ahli will be looking for a victory for their beleaguered campaigns as the winter break approaches, this match could be an interesting fixture for either team.
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