There seems to be less attention to the Saudi Championship than a year ago. But there are still many star players and famous coaches in the league. We tell you what happens in a tournament where six rounds are played.
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How is the champion doing?
Everything is just wonderful. It seems that Al-Hilal intends to repeat last year’s result. Six wins in six games, 18 goals scored (best result in the league), first place in the table. It is true that there is still a great dependence on Alexander Mitrovic’s objectives. The Serbian has already scored 10 goals (the best result of the tournament), and the rest of the team eight. Al-Hilal’s second scorer, Salem Al-Dawsari, scored only two goals. The statistics of former Zenit forward Malcolm still do not surprise anyone: one goal in four games.
Al-Hilal footballers celebrate the victory
Photo: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
After the national team break in October, the Saudi Arabian champion will face Al-Taawun, Al-Nasr and Al-Ittifaq. Each of these opponents is in the top 8. If successful, Jorge Jesús’s team can increase its lead over its pursuers in the standings. By the way, Al-Hilal achieved perfect statistics not only in the championship, but also in other tournaments. He won the Saudi Super Cup and the Champions League twice, and the Cup once.
What’s wrong with Ronaldo?
The Portuguese star scored five goals, the fourth most goals in the Saudi Arabian Championship. It is true that in three cases the veteran did so from the 11 meter mark. Al-Nasr remains undefeated in the league (four wins, two draws), but is already four points behind Al-Hilal. At the beginning of the season, the club changed its coach: Stefano Pioli replaced Luis Castro. So far, the Italian is doing well: five wins in five games in all tournaments, two goals conceded. Very soon Al-Nasr will face Al-Shabab (the fourth team in the league) and Al-Hilal.
Recently, Ronaldo once again wrote his name in football history. He became the first player to score 600 goals at the highest level. The closest pursuer has 44 goals less. “Right now I’m just enjoying football because I know I don’t have much time left on the field. Now for me it is not important to be the best player or win prizes. It is important to have fun and help the team,” says Cristiano.
christian ronaldo
Photo: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
Benzema shines with the new coach
Al-Ittihad spends its first season under the direction of a new coach. Previously, the team was managed by Nuno Espirito Santo and Marcelo Gallardo, each of whom had bad relations with Karim Benzema. It seems that the striker has now found a common language with Laurent Blanc. Karim scored seven goals in six games (the second best result in the league) and scored nine goals throughout last season. The Frenchman’s performance is reflected favorably in the results of the team, which occupies second place in the table. By the way, Karim scores in every game.
Karim Benzema
Photo: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
Al-Ittihad had five wins in six matches and only lost to Al-Hilal. In addition, the Jeddah team does not participate in the Champions League, so its players should be fresher at distance than players from other major clubs. The transfer of midfielder Houssem Aouar suited him well. Al-Ittihad paid 12 million euros for the Roma footballer and he already has five goals. Defender Mario Mitai (his rights belong to Lokomotiv) at first did not enter the lineup twice, then he played two matches in the Championship and one in the Cup.
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How others perform
Al Shabab went into the break in fourth position in the table. It is made up of players with experience in the best leagues in Europe (Yannick Carrasco, Giacomo Bonaventura). There is also defender Robert Renan (his rights belong to Zenit), who recently earned a place in the starting eleven. It is true that so far the matches in which Al Shabab participate are not very attractive in terms of goals. After the results of six rounds, the team scored only five goals and missed three.
Major League newcomer Al-Qadisiya is currently in sixth place. Before the start of the season, the team reinforced its squad with Belgian goalkeeper Cohen Castells, former Real Madrid captain Nacho Fernández and goalscorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Al-Qadisiya started with two victories, but then stagnated. The team follows roughly the same path as Al-Shabab. Five goals scored, three lost – the team’s matches are not encouraging with a large number of goals.
Roberto Firmino
Photo: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
But Al Ahly with Frank Kessier, Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Ivan Toney has yet to impress. Three defeats in six games, tenth place in the Saudi Arabian championship standings. It is worth highlighting Al-Ahly’s poor statistics away from home: one point scored in three games. Toni and Firmino scored two goals each, Kessier one. But so far this is not enough to rise to the top of the table.
Steven Gerrard’s Al Ittifaq have so far scored (five times) fewer times than they have conceded (six goals). The team occupies eighth place in the table. On the other hand, there is such density that the difference with second place is five points. More than half of the goals (three) were scored by striker Moussa Dembélé, who previously played for Lyon, Atlético and Celtic.
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