Analysis and prediction for Al Shabab vs Al Ittihad: Twice leading but still ending up empty-handed.
The match between Al Shabab and Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League will take place at 1:00 AM on May 21st. Nghe An Newspaper analyzes the teams' form, provides football commentary, and predicts the score.
Latest team news for Al Shabab vs Al Ittihad
Al Shabab will continue to be without Seung-Gyu Kim, who has been suffering from a cruciate ligament injury since last October.
Fahad Al Muwallad is still doubtful to play due to a chest problem, while Mohamed Al-Thani will also continue to be absent due to a muscle injury.
Abderrazak Hamdallah is expected to return to lead the attack after serving a one-match suspension. The striker, who has scored 21 goals this season, is aiming for the Golden Boot, trailing Cristiano Ronaldo by just two goals.
Al Ittihad striker Karim Benzema – who also has 21 goals – is level with Hamdallah on the scoring charts, but his availability remains uncertain after missing the last match.
Hasan Kadesh has been confirmed to have a muscle injury and is unlikely to return before the end of this month.
Al Ittihad will most likely continue to use their familiar 4-5-1 formation, with N'Golo Kante and Fabinho providing balance in central midfield, Houssem Aouar playing the main creative role, and Steven Bergwijn bringing speed and attacking power on the wing.
However, having already won the title, coach Blanc can rotate the squad to give opportunities to reserve players.
Latest predicted lineups for Al Shabab vs Al Ittihad
Al Shabab:
Bushchan; Al-Sharari, Al Shwirekh, Hoedt, Renan; Kamara, Guanca, Al Juwayr; Camara, Hamdallah, Carrasco
Al Ittihad:
Rajkovic; Shanqeeti, Al-Amri, Pereira, Mitaj; Kante, Fabinho; Alobud, Aouar, Hernandez; Bergwijn
Latest football match prediction: Al Shabab vs Al Ittihad
Al Ittihad clinched their 10th Saudi Pro League title, despite a poor start at King Abdullah Sports City, where relegated Al Raed surprisingly took the lead in the 9th minute through Oumar Gonzalez.
However, just like in their previous away game, Laurent Blanc's side staged a successful comeback. Steven Bergwijn and Danilo Pereira scored to give Al Ittihad the lead, before Abdulrahman Alobud sealed the victory just two minutes after halftime.
This was the fourth consecutive victory for "The People's Club," who scored three goals in their last four matches, bringing their total points to 77. This achievement secured them the championship two rounds early, thanks to their advantage over second-placed Al Hilal – who were then 9 points behind and had yet to play their 31st match.
Having already secured the top spot with a 6-point lead, attention now shifts to whether Al Ittihad will receive a consolation prize from their rivals Al Shabab in the upcoming match. Al Shabab previously defeated Al Ittihad 1-0 in the second leg last season, and also won 3-1 in the first leg this season.
However, Al Ittihad beat Al Shabab 2-1 earlier in the season, and they now have the opportunity to complete a double against this opponent in the league for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
Notably, Al Shabab refused to form a guard of honor for Al Ahli after their AFC Champions League victory in 2025, an action that drew considerable criticism within Saudi football circles.
In that match, coach Fatih Terim's team won 3-1, ending a three-match winless streak, and then went on to defeat their city rivals Al Riyadh with the same scoreline.
Al Shabab currently has 57 points after 17 wins, 16 draws, and 9 losses, guaranteeing them a sixth-place finish – neither overtaking the teams above them nor being caught up by those below them.
This season has been a landmark one for Al Shabab, as they are aiming for their highest points total in 13 seasons and have already matched their 2020-21 season record with two games in hand.
The Riyadh-based club also performs quite well at home, with 32 points from 16 matches, and will be confident in causing difficulties for the champions.
Latest Al Shabab vs Al Ittihad score prediction
Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have provided our predictions for the match.Al Shabab vs Al Ittihadas follows:
- Sportsmole:Al Shabab 2-2 Al Ittihad
- WhoScore:Al Shabab 1-1 Al Ittihad
- Our newspaper predicts:Al Shabab 1-1 Al Ittihad
When and where can I watch Al Shabab vs Al Ittihad live?
To watch the Al Shabab vs Al Ittihad match live in the Saudi Pro League, taking place at 1:00 AM on May 21st, viewers can tune in to various online sports channels. We wish you enjoyable football viewing moments.
