Al Hilal vs Al Orubah

Al-Hilal and Al Orubah face starkly different realities in the Saudi Pro League as they prepare for their gameweek 31 clash at Kingdom Arena on Monday.

The second-placed title hopefuls are reeling from league leaders Al Ittihad’s dramatic, last-minute victory over Al-Nassr, which kept them six points ahead as Al-Hilal welcome a side that could finish the round in the relegation zone.

Al-Hilal had hoped to head into the final four matches of their title defense trailing Al Ittihad by just four points, but their aspirations were dented when Houssem Aouar scored a 94th-minute winner in Al Ittihad’s 3-2 comeback against Al-Nassr last week.

Al Ittihad overturned a 2-0 deficit with three second-half goals to secure their first away win since mid-February, edging closer to the title while leaving the reigning champions reliant on victories in their remaining games and slip-ups from others to retain the crown.

Interim manager Mohammad Al-Shalhoub oversaw a 5-3 win against bottom side Al Raed in his first match since taking over from Jorge Jesus, briefly narrowing the gap to three points before Al Ittihad’s stunning recovery.

Despite the tight scoreline, Blue Power were in control throughout, leading 2-1, 4-1, and 5-2 en route to their 20th victory of the campaign.

Those goals pushed Al-Hilal’s season tally to 84, far surpassing Al Ittihad’s 66, but their defense has been a weak point, conceding 37 goals compared to the league leaders’ 30.

Their vulnerability at the back is evident in recent home form, with Al-Hilal conceding at least two goals in three of their last four matches in front of their fans, falling to Al-Ahli (3-2) and Al-Nassr (3-1), drawing 2-2 with Al Shabab, and only defeating Al Khaleej 3-0 during this stretch.

With Al Ittihad playing earlier in gameweek 31, Al-Shalhoub could face his second match in temporary charge with Blue Waves trailing by nine points, heightening the stakes for Monday’s contest.

Looking to exploit Al-Hilal’s unease are Al Orubah, who, with 30 points, have dropped into the bottom three ahead of their Riyadh trip following Al Wahda’s 1-0 win over Al Fateh on Saturday.

That result, combined with 15th-placed Damac facing last-placed Al Raed on Sunday, means the 16th-placed side could enter their match against the champions four points from safety if the team above them defeats the league’s bottom club.

With relegation looming after their promotion this season, the visitors must capitalize on their recent 4-2 away win against Al Riyadh—their first victory under new manager Antonio Cazorla—to stand any chance against the defending champions.

Before that triumph on May 1, Al Orubah had been in dismal form. Their only previous win since late February—a shock 2-1 upset over Al-Nassr—was followed by a disastrous run under former boss Adnan Hamad, including five straight losses and a goalless streak in four of those matches. A late April 2-2 draw against Al Fayha briefly halted the slide, but the damage was already done.

Now, with six goals scored and four points earned in their last two games, the newly managed Sakakah-based side is looking to avoid defeat in three consecutive matches for only the second time this season. Their previous unbeaten run came in September, featuring a thrilling 3-3 draw with Al Kholood followed by narrow 1-0 wins over Al Fateh and Damac.

However, if they fail to keep this momentum, the league’s leakiest defense (61 goals conceded) could find themselves in the relegation zone by the end of Gameweek 31—a grim possibility they were already bracing for at the start of the round.