Al-Ittihad vs Al-Hilal

Familiar foes Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal are about to exchange tackles at the King Abdullah Sports City in the return leg of their AFC Champions League quarter-final tie.

Two-time Champions League winners Al-Ittihad have a high hill to climb after suffering a 2-0 defeat in the first leg as they seek their first continental success since 2005. Marcelo Gallardo’s side bounced back from that disappointment with a narrow 2-1 home win against Saudi Pro League minnows Al-Akhdoud at the weekend, extending their winning streak on home turf to four matches in all competitions. But three of those four wins yielded an identical 2-1 scoreline. Another similar result would crash Al-Ittihad out of the tournament, but it’s uncertain whether they could get that far. Indeed, the Chief of Clubs have failed to beat Al-Hilal in any of their last four H2Hs on home turf (D1, L3), including a 4-3 defeat in this season’s Saudi Pro League.

On the other hand, Al-Hilal’s pursuit of a record-extending fifth Champions League crown is on track after a first-leg success. Jorge Jesus’ star-studded squad followed that triumph with a 3-1 league win against Al-Riyadh, solidifying their position at the Saudi Pro League’s summit, a whopping 12 points clear of runners-up Al-Nassr. Moreover, the visitors have won all seven competitive matches in 2024 via a two-goal margin. A 3-1 scoreline has been a common theme in that sequence, with five of those seven wins featuring this FT score. Though they don’t need to win here to secure progression, a jaw-dropping 12-game winning streak on the road suggests they might.