JEDDAH: Round seven of the Saudi Professional League kicks off today with three matches spread across Jeddah, Buraidah and Tabuk.
In Jeddah at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, Al-Ittihad will be up against Al-Najran.
League leader Ittihad is heavily favored to add a further three points to its tally and widen the gap on Al-Hilal and Al-Nasr. Ittihad leads the team standings with 19 points from six wins and one draw. Najran occupies the eighth position with seven points from two wins, one draw and four defeats.
Ittihad is expected to stick to the same formation it used effectively in previous matches and not take chances given that Najran is quite capable of pulling surprises.
In Buraidah, Al-Raid hosts Abha in a match that is important for both teams trying to wiggle out of the relegation zone. Al-Raid is hoping to duplicate its stunning 4-1 win against Al-Shabab while looking forward to improve its ninth place ranking with six points. Abha is in the 11th position with only three points.
The last match of the day pits Al-Watani of Tabuk against Shabab, which will be looking to recover from the embarrassing defeat by Al-Raid in round six.
Shabab, in seventh position with nine points, is fancied to improve its situation as any point leak in the upcoming match would mean a tougher task of having to keep up with the top teams in the competition. With a mere point to show thus far, Al-Watani is the worst team in the field.
