After their 2-1 win over Al-Ahli Saudi, Al-Hilal are now on the verge of winning the 2024 Saudi Pro League title. Mitrovic and the rest of Al-Hilal are set to host basement dwellers Al-Hazm at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium this weekend to secure their claim to the title.
It will be a battle of David vs. Goliath, and the Saudi Pro League 2024 betting odds heavily lean on the league leaders to clinch their 19th league title this weekend. Al-Hazm have more or less already punched their tickets back to Division 1, as they find themselves too deep in the relegation zone to make a tail-end resurgence.
Superstar signing Aleksandar Mitrovic continues his stellar form this season, scoring 23 goals in 23 appearances for Al-Hilal. His contributions to his new club this season have been the main catalyst for Al-Hilal’s title run, especially after Neymar Jr.’s season-ending injury in the early parts of the season.
Mitrovic was out for more or less six weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury during a match against Al-Shabib two months ago, but the rest of Al-Hilal were able to keep the ship afloat and put up consistent Saudi Pro League 2024 results while both Mitrovic and Neymar were out of commission.
The former Fulham star returned to Jorge Jesus’ starting XI during their victory against Al-Taawoun last week, and the Serbian striker immediately went back to his goal-scoring ways, as he scored the opening goal en route to their 3-0 win.
It would take a combined herculean effort from their adversaries in the Saudi Pro League to snag the title from Al-Hilal this season, but backed by their unreal winning streak, Al-Hilal look like they have already made space for a new addition to their trophy cabinet.
Al Akhdoud vs Al-Nassr
Al-Nassr pose as the only worthy adversaries for Al-Hilal this season, as both teams are leagues away from the third-placed Al-Ahli Saudi. With a 19-point lead over Al-Ahli Saudi, Al-Nassr have clinched their AFC Champions League group stage spot alongside Al-Hilal.
With Cristiano Ronaldo leading the way, Al-Nassr are currently one of the hottest outfits in the Saudi Pro League, but with the title slowly slipping from their grasps, one must wonder if they will be as spirited in their remaining matches in the season.
Fresh from a King Cup of Champions semi-final win over Al-Khaleej, they went on and dismantled a helpless Al-Wehda squad 6-0 at Al-Awwal Stadium. Against Al-Wehda, CR7 continues to overcome father time and scored one of his multiple hat-tricks this season.
Ronaldo delivered back-to-back rapid-fire goals to put his team up two goals as early as minute 12, then picked up where he left off and delivered his third goal in minute 52.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been nothing but consistent this season, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. CR7 leads the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot race with 32 goals in 27 appearances for Al-Nassr this season, nine goals clear of Al-Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Despite Ronaldo’s dominance, Al-Nassr are poised to fall short in the title race, forcing them to settle for second place two seasons in a row. But they’ll have a great opportunity to at least keep the pressure on Al-Hilal in the league standings when they face relegation candidates, Al Akhdoud.
Al Akhdoud are tied with Abha with just 28 total points garnered this season, leaving the relegation battle in the Saudi Pro League open and competitive. They’ll need to muster up their best football from this point on if they aspire to remain in the top flight next season, but it’s easier said than done, especially with Ronaldo and Al-Nassr in their way.
Al-Ittihad vs Al-Ettifaq
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The 2022–23 Saudi Pro League champions, Al-Ittihad, find themselves in fifth place after tallying just four points in their last five matches. Al-Ittihad’s star-studded cast was placed on a pedestal after clinching the title last season, and expectations grew higher for them when the 2024 season started.
But thanks to a messy, rollercoaster ride of a season, Al-Ittihad didn’t just fail to defend their title; they also have a lofty task to finish the season in the top three. Their back-to-back losses against Al-Shabab and Abha, as well as their King Cup of Champions semi-final loss to Al-Hilal, definitely hurt their hopes to go on a tail-end run to salvage their season.
Instead, Al-Ittihad will face mid-table staple Al-Ettifaq for their Matchday 31 bout. Al-Ettifaq are poised to finish in the same position they were by the end of last season, but a mini-win streak could propel them a few places more than this SBOTOP writer expects.
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