The sprint to the Saudi Pro League title is coming down to a two-horse race between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. Al-Hilal have remained unbeaten after 20 top-flight matches, garnering a total of 56 points, seven points clear of the threatening Al-Nassr.
Things were looking a little grim for Jorge Jesus and his outfit after their polarizing signing, Neymar, went down with a knee injury a few months ago, forcing the Brazilian maestro to miss six to 12 months of action. But despite losing their superstar, Al-Hilal remain the top dogs of the Saudi Pro League, demolishing every adversary that comes their way. And the main catalyst for their success is their No. 9, Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The Serbian striker has been automatic this season, netting 19 goals in 18 top-flight appearances while also claiming four assists to boot. His brilliance transcends not just the Saudi Pro League but all competitions, as he also has six goals tallied in the AFC Champions League.
The former Fulham star gave Al-Hilal a commanding seven-point lead in the title race thanks to his two-goal heroics during their 3-1 win over Al-Raed last weekend and the Serbian shows no signs of slowing down.
With his fine form, Mitrovic’s hefty €52.60 million fee is starting to look like a bargain, doesn’t it?
Can Ronaldo win the Golden Boot?
As potent as Mitrovic has been this season, there is still one man who rivals him in the goal-scoring department, and that man is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, CR7 himself.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr is still one of the Saudi Pro League 2024 odds favourites to win the season. Claiming 49 points after 20 matches, Al-Nassr is nine points clear of third-placed Al-Ahli Saudi. Luis Castro and his men are shaping up to be the only worthy rivals of Al-Hilal to the league title thus far.
And Al-Nassr’s success is spearheaded by the goal-scoring prowess and leadership of Cristiano Ronaldo, who leads the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot race with 21 goals in 19 appearances.
The Portuguese legend finished last season with just 14 goals, but he was on pace to win it then, only hindered by the fact that he made just 16 appearances.
This season, Ronaldo’s dominance in the sport of football is on full display, as he not only leads the league in goals, but he also leads the league in assists with nine.
CR7 could really finish the season as the top goal scorer, the top assist man, and the league champion; now that’s an SBOTOP Saudi Pro League 2024 headline.
Roberto Firmino ends his scoring drought
After six long months, Liverpool legend Roberto Firmino finally broke his scoring drought. The 32-year-old veteran found the back of the net from the penalty spot right before halftime during their tie against Al-Ahkdoud last weekend.
The last time Firmino scored was during his Saudi League debut back in August, and the Brazilian did it in style by scoring not one, not two, but three goals for Al-Ahli during that memorable night. But after that, he was suddenly dropped in the starting lineup, and the veteran hasn’t scored since.
His drought-ending goal serves as a great morale boost not just for Firmino but for the whole team as well, as they continue their claim for the title this season.
But this morale boost didn’t come with any reparations, as Al-Ahli ended up losing to Al Akhdoud 3-2, ending their nine-game unbeaten streak and robbing them of much-needed points to catch up with the league leaders in the standings.
It was a bittersweet night for Firmino and Al-Ahli Saudi, to say the least.
Ivan Rakitic shines during his debut
Rakitic, 35, bid farewell to the Spanish top flight and signed with the Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Shabab. The La Liga legend made his Al-Shabab debut against 10-man Damac last week and wasted little to no time to make his mark in his new home.
The former Barcelona and Sevilla star struck from outside the area in the dying minutes of the match against Damac and gave his new outfit the 1-0 win.
Al-Shabab are outside of the title race this season, currently in 10th place in the standings, but the addition of a talent like Rakitic to bolster their midfield could be enough for Al-Shabab to go on a tail-end run and be a force in the league in the seasons to come.
Rakitic was part of the treble-winning Barcelona squad in 2014–2015 that won the La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League. And was also one of the main catalysts in Croatia’s runner-up finish in the 2018 World Cup.
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