Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Match Preview
The Saudi Pro League action concludes for the calendar year on Wednesday, 31 December 2025, as relegation-threatened Al Kholood host defending champions Al Hilal at the Al-Hazem Club Stadium. The visitors are locked in a fierce title race, sitting 2nd with 26 points, and arrive off the back of a thrilling 3–2 win over Al Khaleej. Al Kholood, meanwhile, are struggling in 12th place with just 9 points and have lost four of their last five league matches. Facing the unbeaten league giants is the ultimate test for Paulo Duarte’s men as they try to distance themselves from the drop zone.
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Match Info
- Competition: Roshn Saudi League (Matchday 11)
- Venue: Al-Hazem Club Stadium, Ar Rass (Capacity: 2,800)
- Date: Wednesday, 31 December 2025
- Kickoff: 18:00 AST (Local) | 15:00 GMT | 10:00 ET
- Referee: Tasos Sidiropoulos (GRE)
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Match Stakes
Al Kholood (12th — 9 pts):
- Win → Moves to 12 pts; a massive upset that would lift them towards mid-table safety.
- Draw → A “golden point” against the title favorites; boosts confidence after the Al Taawon loss.
- Loss → Could drop into the relegation zone if teams below them win; goal difference (-6) takes another hit.
Al Hilal (2nd — 26 pts):
- Win → Moves to 29 pts; keeps the pressure on league leaders Al Nassr.
- Draw → Two points dropped in the title race; allows Al Nassr to potentially extend their lead.
- Loss → First defeat of the season; a major psychological blow heading into the winter break.
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Team News
Al Kholood:
- William Troost-Ekong — Out (International Duty – AFCON 2025 with Nigeria)
- Myziane Maolida — Out (International Duty – Comoros)
- Abdulmalik Al-Harbi — Out (ACL Injury – Season over)
- Ramiro Enrique — Available (Top Scorer – Key threat)
- Alex Collado — Available (Creative hub)
Al Hilal:
- Yassine Bounou — Out (International Duty – AFCON 2025 with Morocco)
- Kalidou Koulibaly — Out (International Duty – Senegal)
- Neymar — Out (Muscle Injury – Recurring issue)
- Suhayb Al Zaid — Out (Cruciate Ligament Injury)
- Ruben Neves — Available (Midfield General)
- Aleksandar Mitrovic — Available (League Top Scorer)
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Al Kholood
- 26/12 — 0–2 vs Al Taawon (SPL)
- 28/11 — 4–3 vs Al Khaleej (Kings Cup)
- 21/11 — 1–2 vs Al Hazem (SPL)
- 06/11 — 0–4 vs Al Qadsiah (SPL)
- 30/10 — 2–3 vs Neom SC (SPL)
Al Hilal
- 26/12 — 3–2 vs Al Khaleej (SPL)
- 22/12 — 1–0 vs Al Sharjah (ACL Elite)
- 29/11 — 4–1 vs Al Fateh (Kings Cup)
- 25/11 — 4–0 vs Al Shorta (ACL Elite)
- 22/11 — 2–1 vs Al Fateh (SPL)
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Head-to-Head (Last Meetings)
- 25/02/2025 — Al Hilal 5–1 Al Kholood (SPL)
- 28/09/2024 — Al Kholood 2–4 Al Hilal (SPL)
- Al Hilal have won the last two meetings with an aggregate score of 9–3.
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Al Kholood (5-4-1)
Grohe; Al-Hawsawi, Gyomber, Al-Absi, Al-Shamrani, Asiri; Collado, Dieng, N’Doram, Muleka; Enrique
Al Hilal (4-2-3-1)
Al-Owais; Cancelo, Al-Bulayhi, Tambakti, Lodi; Neves, Milinkovic-Savic; Malcom, Leonardo, Al-Dawsari; Mitrovic
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Impact Bench
Al Kholood: Al-Hammami (Pace on wing), Sawan (Midfield energy)
Al Hilal: Al-Hamdan (Late goal threat), Al-Qahtani (Dribbling skill)
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Tactical Analysis
Al Kholood
Without their defensive leader Troost-Ekong, Al Kholood are vulnerable at the back. They will likely set up in a deep 5-4-1 block to deny space to Al Hilal’s star-studded attack. Their best hope is to bypass the midfield and hit long balls to Ramiro Enrique or use Alex Collado’s set-piece delivery to steal a goal.
Al Hilal
Even without Bono and Koulibaly, Al Hilal are a juggernaut. Jorge Jesus will instruct his side to dominate possession and overload the flanks with Cancelo and Lodi. The absence of Maolida for Kholood removes a key counter-attacking threat, allowing Hilal’s high line to push up further. Mitrovic’s aerial dominance will be the primary weapon against a makeshift Kholood defense.
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Key Battles
- Mitrovic vs Gyomber — The league’s best striker vs Kholood’s remaining senior CB.
- Collado vs Neves — Battle for midfield creativity.
- Cancelo vs Al-Shamrani — Elite attacking fullback vs defensive discipline.
- Grohe vs Malcom — GK needs a world-class performance to keep the score down.
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Spotlight Players
Al Kholood — Marcelo Grohe
The veteran goalkeeper will be under siege. With his defense weakened by international call-ups, Grohe needs to produce multiple big saves to keep Al Kholood in the game.
Al Hilal — Aleksandar Mitrovic
The Serbian striker is a goal machine. He scored a hat-trick in the last meeting between these sides (5–1) and will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing a depleted Kholood backline.
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Prediction
Al Kholood 1–4 Al Hilal
Al Kholood are leaking goals (19 conceded) and are missing key players due to AFCON. Al Hilal, despite their own absences, have incredible depth. The difference in quality in the final third is massive. Expect another high-scoring victory for the “Blue Waves.”
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Betting Insights
- Al Hilal to Win — High Probability (Current form 8-2-0 vs 3-0-7)
- Over 3.5 Goals — Likely (H2H history: 9 goals in 2 games)
- Mitrovic to Score — Very High Value
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — Where to Watch
- Saudi Arabia: SSC (Saudi Sports Company) / Shahid
- International: DAZN, Fox Sports (USA), Canal+ (France)
Al Kholood vs Al Hilal — FAQs
Q: When is the Al Kholood vs Al Hilal match?
A: The match kicks off on Wednesday, 31 December 2025, at 18:00 local time.
Q: Is Neymar playing?
A: No. He remains sidelined with an injury.
Q: Why are Bono and Koulibaly missing?
A: They are on international duty for AFCON 2025.
Q: Who is the referee?
A: Tasos Sidiropoulos from Greece will officiate the match.
Call to Action — SportsphereArena Community
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