JEDDAH: The Saudi Professional League enters the second round robin stage with four round 12 matches taking place on Tuesday.
In Riyadh, the top team Hilal hosts Al-Qadisia, looking to duplicate its first round 2-1 victory over the same squad on Aug. 19.
The undefeated Hilal has a league-best 29 points from nine wins and two draws. Qadisia is dangerously placed in the 11th position with only seven points from one win, four draws and six defeats.
Hilal enters the match in high spirits especially after the huge 5-0 win against Al-Ittihad 5-0 on Thursday.
Ittihad looks to rebound from that embarrassing defeat when it entertains Al-Fateh in a potentially tough match at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.
In third place with 18 points from six wins and three defeats Ittihad needs the game’s three points if only to ease the pressure from its highly demanding fans a little bit.
The good news is that star player Muhammad Nur is back having been pardoned by the Saudi Football Federation’s disciplinary committee.
The darkhorse in the tournament after placing fifth on its Saudi main league debut Fateh held Al-Ahli to a 1-1 draw in its last match and its current form suggests the team is quite capable of trouble for other big-name squads.
Fateh is fifth in the team standings with 13 points from three wins, four draws and four defeats. The first round between the two teams ended 2-1 to Ittihad.
Al-Raid hosts Ahli in Buraidah in a match where Ahli has a chance to win against the tournament’s bottom team.
Ahli, in sixth spot with 12 points, could jump to the fourth position with a victory on Tuesday and Fateh loses against Ittihad.
Al-Raid has only six points from one win, three draws and six losses.
In the last match of the day, Al-Hazem welcomes Al-Nasr in Al-Rass. This match will be difficult for both teams. The first round between the sides is still to be played after Hazem players had been indisposed because of swine flu.
Nasr ranks seventh in the standings with 11 points with three pending matches and Hazem eighth with 11 points with two matches in hand.
