Al Akhdoud will host the reigning Saudi champions Al Hilal in the first round of the new season on Saturday, 24 August.
Will the hosts be able to resist the force that is Al Hilal or will we see another dominating performance from the guests? Read more about this duel in our Al Akhdoud vs Al Hilal prediction and preview right here.
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Al Akhdoud vs Al Hilal predictions: An easy win for the champions
Key stats
- Al Hilal have finished last season in Saudi Pro League undefeated, winning 31 of their 34 matches.
- Al Akhdoud have barely survived last season, finishing ahead of the first team in the relegation zone by one point.
- Aleksandar Mitrovic was the second-best scorer in the league last season with 28 goals in the Saudi Pro League.
Correct score prediction: Al Akhdoud 0-3 Al Hilal
In the only two meetings between these teams, which both happened last season in Al Akhdoud's first season in top flight, Al Hilal have won 3-0, so we wouldn't be surprised to see the same outcome this Saturday.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Al Hilal the clear favourites
- HOME: 11/1 (12.00) – 8.30%
- DRAW: 7/1 (8.00) – 12.50%
- AWAY: 2/11 (1.18) – 84.60%
*Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
It is obvious from these Al Akhdoud vs Al Hilal odds that the bookies see the as the expected winners and it is by a huge margin, which is hardly a surprise since they are the defending champions of Saudi Arabia.
Not only that, but Al Hilal have won all domestic competitions last season and they started the new one with an emphatic win in the Super Cup, while Al Akhdoud are one of the teams that will likely fight to avoid relegation once again.
In any case, if you're looking for more of our top predictions, check out some of our favourite betting tips for today.
Most recent H2Hs: Only their third meeting ever
These two teams haven't met before last season, so we only saw them go head to head twice so far. In both of last season's matches, Al Hilal have dominated and won by three goals.
Saudi Arabia Pro League 02/04/24
Al Hilal Riyadh
Al Akhdoud
Saudi Arabia Pro League 07/10/23
Al Akhdoud
Al Hilal Riyadh
Al Akhdoud preview: Hoping to avoid the stress from last season
Coming into the last round of last season in the Saudi Pro League, Al Akhdoud were in the relegation zone and it looked like they were about to go down after just one season in the top flight. Luckily for them, they had a direct duel with Al Tai, who were ahead, and they managed to beat them 2-0 away from home to secure they stay up.
Meanwhile, Al Akhdoud have signed a few players this summer, with the biggest signing being Knowledge Musona.
Predicted lineup: Vitor (GK), Faraj, Asiri, Al-Rubaie, Al-Mansour, Al-Muwallad, Al Zubaidi, Pedroza, Musona, Godwin, Tawamba
Saudi Arabia Pro League 28/08/24
L
Al Ittifaq Dammam
1
Al Akhdoud
0
Saudi Arabia Pro League 24/08/24
L
Al Hilal Riyadh
3
Al Akhdoud
0
World Club Friendlies 11/08/24
L
Al Khalidiyah
1
Al Akhdoud
0
Saudi Arabia Pro League 27/05/24
W
Al Taee
0
Al Akhdoud
2
Saudi Arabia Pro League 23/05/24
D
Al Wehda Mecca
1
Al Akhdoud
1
Al Hilal preview: Another great season ahead?
After winning everything in Saudi Arabia last season, including winning the Saudi Pro League without losing a single match, Al Hilal seem ready for another season of dominance. The fact is, Al Hilal already started the new season well since they've won the Saudi Super Cup with a 4-1 win over Al Nassr in the final, though they struggled against Al Ahli in the semi-final and had to win on penalties.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal didn't do any big signings this season and will roll with the team that dominated last year. After all, they are still waiting for Neymar to come back after suffering an ACL injury last season shortly after arriving.
Predicted lineup – Bounou – Abdulhamid, Koulibaly, Al-Bulayhi, Lodi – Neves, Milinkovic-Savic – Michael, Malcom, Al-Dawsari – Mitrovic
Saudi Arabia Pro League 28/08/24
W
Damac FC
2
Al Hilal Riyadh
3
Saudi Arabia Pro League 24/08/24
W
Al Akhdoud
0
Al Hilal Riyadh
3
Saudi Arabia Super Cup 17/08/24
W
Al-Nassr Riyadh
1
Al Hilal Riyadh
4
Saudi Arabia Super Cup 13/08/24
W
Al Ahli Jeddah
1 (1)
Al Hilal Riyadh
1 (4)
World Club Friendlies 03/08/24
W
Udinese
0
Al Hilal Riyadh
1
Player to watch: Aleksandar Mitrovic
With 28 goals in the same number of games in the Saudi Pro League last season, Mitrovic has probably been the most important signing for Al Hilal last summer and he will once again spearhead their attack this season. After all, he already started in great form with three goals in two Super Cup matches.
Can Mitrovic finally score against Al Akhdoud?
Given his impressive goalscoring record from last season, it was surprising to see that Mitrovic failed to score a goal against Al Akhdoud in both of their duels in the league. Will he manage to do so on Saturday?
