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Which sides have what it takes to win the Saudi Pro League this season?

Al-Hilal won the title on the last day, pipping Al-Ahli to the post. (Al-Hilal)
Updated 30 August 2018
John Duerden
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Which sides have what it takes to win the Saudi Pro League this season?

Updated 30 August 2018
John Duerden

LONDON: With the new Saudi Pro League season neraly upon us, here is how we think the Saudi Pro League season will unfold...

AL-HILAL

Last Season: 1st
Coach: Jorge Jesus
Major Signings: Omar Abdulrahman, Andre Carrillo, Alberto Botia.
Strengths: The defending champions have strengthened and not being in the AFC Champions League could prove a blessing in disguise. They have plenty of star power and goals in the team with a coach full of big-game experience.
Weaknesses: Not many — the coach may take a little time to get used to the league, the team is there to be shot at and the loss of Osama Hawsawi may take some getting used to. 
Key player: Abdullah Otayf — the holding midfielder does not make the headlines that others do but he makes the team tick. When he plays well Al-Hilal play well; he needs to stay fit.
Prediction: 1st — The Champions have grown stronger and will be the team to beat.

 

AL-NASSR

Last Season: 3rd
Coach: Jose Daniel Carreno
Major signings: Ahmed Musa, Christian Ramos, Nordin Amrabat, Guiliano, Brad Jones.
Strengths: The coach has won the title before, the club has signed plenty of talent, especially going forward, to give options and has strength in depth.
Weaknesses: Had some defensive issues last season, may take time for new players to gel and there is increased pressure after big signings.
Key player: Christian Ramos — Peru’s World Cup central defender is a commanding presence and could be the perfect signing.
Prediction: 2nd — have improved but probably still a little short on what is needed to become 
champions.

 

AL-AHLI

Last season: 2nd
Coach: Pablo Guese
Major signings: Alexis, Josef De Souza, Jose Manuel Jurado
Strengths: They have plenty of motivation after coming so close last season and there is not much to fix. Added experience and class in defense and midfield especially.
Weaknesses: They have lost a couple of influential players, such as Claudemir and Leonardo, and the coach has no experience outside of South America. 
Key player: Omar Somah — the Syrian star needs to keep banging in the goals.
Prediction: 3rd — have lost some players, may take a little time to gel.

 

AL-ITTIHAD

Last season: 9th
Coach: Ramon Diaz
Major signings: Matt 
Jurman, Aleksandar Pesic, Valdivia
Strengths: Despite a poor season last time, quality has been added. There is also a desire to improve. Coach Diaz did well at Al-Hilal and has strong knowledge of the league and huge desire to prove his former club wrong.
Weaknesses: They have lost much of their firepower from last season and may struggle to get the goals.
Key player: Fahad Al-Muwallad — The Saudi Arabia winger has returned from Spain and is ready to terrorize defenders again.
Prediction: 4th — have been busy in the transfer market but that may not be enough to get them in the top three.

 

AL-FAISALY

Last Season: 6th
Coach: Mircea Rednik
Major signings: Andre Micael, Diego Calderon, Joseph Akpala.
Strengths: They are well-organized and hard-to-beat, Al-Faisaly got to the final of the King’s Cup and that experience will serve them well.
Weaknesses: They lack firepower and creativity and while coach Rednik has experience, it is all in Europe.  
Key player: Omar Abdulaziz — the midfielder brings experience and control to the team and will be crucial to the new coach. 
Prediction: 5th — they will need to turn some of those draws into wins in order to prosper.

 

ETTIFAQ

Last Season: 5th 
Coach: Leonardo Ramos
Major signings: Ramon Arias, Brahian Aleman,
Strengths: They should be a little more solid than last time with some quality additions from South America.
Weaknesses: The defense struggled last season and while Ramos is seen as a strong organizer of teams, it may not be enough.
Key player: Mohammed Al-Kwikbi — the wide midfielder just missed out on the World Cup, but at 23 still has time to show what he can do.
Prediction: 6th — Not quite got the quality to challenge for the top three.

Topics: SPL Al-Hilal SPL SPL Al-ittihad Al-Alhi SPL Al-Nassr Al-Faisaly Ettifaq Omar Abdulrahman Ahmed Musa

Slot warns of Southampton slip-up ahead of Liverpool’s ‘incredible’ week

Updated 3 sec ago
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Slot warns of Southampton slip-up ahead of Liverpool’s ‘incredible’ week

Updated 3 sec ago
Slot has made a remarkable start to his time in charge of the Reds, winning 15 of his first 17 games in all competitions
That has propelled Liverpool into a five-point lead over City at the top of the Premier League and to the summit of the new-format Champions League

LIVERPOOL: Arne Slot said he cannot be distracted by Liverpool’s upcoming showdowns with Real Madrid and Manchester City as the injury-hit Premier League leaders visit Southampton on Sunday.
Slot has made a remarkable start to his time in charge of the Reds, winning 15 of his first 17 games in all competitions.
That has propelled Liverpool into a five-point lead over City at the top of the Premier League and to the summit of the new-format Champions League.
“It would be a bit strange if I tell you I’m not enjoying being in the position we are in now, but we also understand we’re only 11 (league) games in now, so that’s a lot of games to be played,” said Slot at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
A trip to bottom-of-the-table Southampton appears the ideal appetiser to two huge clashes as Madrid visit Anfield on Wednesday before a showdown with City on December 1.
But Slot is wary of the threat posed by the Saints, who have often dominated possession without reward on their return to the top-flight.
“We indeed have incredible fixtures coming up, starting with Southampton,” added Slot.
“It’s not going to be easy even if everyone feels it is (because they are) bottom of the league. (Southampton) do not play at all like this and they made it difficult for teams that are in the top three of four.
“Their playing style is very interesting, it is a joy to watch their games.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold could be back in time to face Madrid, but is unlikely to return from a hamstring injury this weekend, while Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota remain out.
Liverpool’s title rivals received a major boost this week as Pep Guardiola extended his contract as Manchester City boss until 2027.
Slot is a confessed admirer of the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach, who has led City to six Premier League titles in the past seven seasons.
“That’s good news for City first of all, and also good news for the league because I think everyone wants to have the best managers possible and the best players over here,” said Slot.
“On the other hand City have so many quality players that if he made the choice to leave the club I would never expect them to be bottom of the league next season.”

Leverkusen’s Boniface sidelined with leg injury

Updated 4 min 49 sec ago
AFP
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Leverkusen’s Boniface sidelined with leg injury

  • “He’s got a small injury in his thigh muscle, it’s a shame,” Alonso told reporters ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Heidenheim
  • Nigerian media reported Boniface could miss the remainder of 2024 but Alonso was optimistic the striker would be back soon
Updated 4 min 49 sec ago
AFP

BERLIN: Bayer Leverkusen and Nigeria striker Victor Boniface is set to miss “a few games” after returning from international duty with a leg injury, coach Xabi Alonso said Friday.
“He’s got a small injury in his thigh muscle, it’s a shame,” Alonso told reporters ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Heidenheim.
Nigerian media reported Boniface could miss the remainder of 2024 but Alonso was optimistic the striker would be back soon.
“He won’t be there tomorrow or against Salzburg (Champions League).
“We hope he will play again this year. We have to wait and see, but it’s not going to be six or eight weeks.”
Forward Patrik Schick, who has started just twice in the league this season, is expected to step up in the Nigerian’s absence.
“He is always ready — we don’t just need him now, but always.”
The defending champions, who did not lose a game in Germany last year on the way to an unbeaten league and cup double, have stuttered this season.
Leverkusen are currently in fourth, nine points behind league leaders Bayern Munich. Alonso’s men have dropped 13 points so far this season, one more than the 12 they leaked in the entirety of the last campaign.
Boniface is Leverkusen’s highest scorer in the league, with six goals and an assist in 10 games.

Topics: Victor Boniface Xabi Alonso Bayer Leverkusen

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Wagner puts on a late show as Magic stun Lakers

Updated 22 November 2024
AFP
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Wagner puts on a late show as Magic stun Lakers

  • Wagner, 23, finished with 37 points, 11 assists and six rebounds to lead the Magic scoring
  • San Antonio Spurs improved to 8-8 for the season after scrapping to a 126-118 win over the Utah Jazz
Updated 22 November 2024
AFP

LOS ANGELES: German international Franz Wagner drained a three-pointer with three seconds remaining as the Orlando Magic ended the Los Angeles Lakers’ unbeaten home record with a dramatic 119-118 victory on Thursday.

Rising star Wagner took full advantage of wayward Lakers shooting from the free throw line in the closing seconds of a see-saw battle at the Crypto.Com Arena to give Orlando a hard-fought win.

Wagner, 23, finished with 37 points, 11 assists and six rebounds to lead the Magic scoring, with older brother Moritz adding 19 from the bench and Jalen Suggs scoring 23.

The in-form Lakers, who had gone into Thursday’s encounter on a six-game unbeaten streak, were left ruing some wasteful shooting from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, where they made just three of nine attempts.

The Lakers had looked poised to close out the win after opening up a four-point lead with 27 seconds remaining at 118-114.

But Franz Wagner closed the gap to 118-116 with a driving layup, and then Anthony Davis missed two free throws to give Orlando a glimmer of hope with 19 seconds remaining.

Wagner then punished the Lakers profligacy, coolly knocking down a step-back three from 26 feet to give Orlando what turned out to be the winning lead.

Davis led the Lakers scorers with 39 points while LeBron James finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Rookie Dalton Knecht added 17 points.

Orlando improved to 10-7 while the Lakers slipped to 10-5 and are now fourth in the Western Conference.

In other games, the San Antonio Spurs improved to 8-8 for the season after scrapping to a 126-118 win over the Utah Jazz.

Utah had seemed poised to claim only their fourth victory of the season after surging into a 20-point lead in the second quarter against a Spurs side missing the injured Victor Wembanyama.

But San Antonio erupted for 75 points after half-time to outscore Utah by 24 points and snatch victory.

Harrison Barnes led San Antonio’s scoring with 25 points and 10 rebounds while rookie Stephon Castle and Zach Collins added 18 points each on a night when eight Spurs players finished in double figures.

Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points for Utah, who slipped to their fourth straight defeat.

In Charlotte, Brandon Miller produced a flurry of scoring in overtime to finish with a career-high 38 points as the Hornets defeated the Detroit Pistons 123-121.

Miller rattled in eight overtime points to help Charlotte claim a win which improves their season record to 6-9.

The Toronto Raptors (4-12) upset the Minnesota Timberwolves, winning 110-105.

Topics: basketball NBA Los Angeles Lakers ORLANDO MAGIC

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Egypt’s El Dafrawy riding momentum into PFL MENA

Updated 22 November 2024
Arab News
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Egypt’s El Dafrawy riding momentum into PFL MENA

  • The 29-year-old will face Kuwait’s Mohammad Alaqraa on Nov. 29 for the Welterweight title honors
Updated 22 November 2024
Arab News

RIYADH: Egyptian Welterweight standout Omar El Dafrawy is heading into the first PFL MENA Championships in Riyadh on Nov. 29 with plenty of momentum.

The 29-year old comes in off the biggest win of his career, a stunning upset victory over title favorite and Middle Eastern MMA icon Jarrah Al-Selawe at the PFL MENA Playoffs back in September.

Now he is set to meet a familiar foe in Kuwait’s Mohammad Alaqraa, this time for the inaugural PFL MENA Welterweight Championship.

Apart from a spot in the championship bout, the win over Al-Selawe has given El Dafrawy a massive confidence boost, one he will need when he steps inside the SmartCage to face the undefeated Alaqraa.

“I don’t fear any fighter, whether it’s Alaqraa or anyone else,” El Dafrawy said. “I’ve defeated the best fighter in the Middle East in just three minutes, so stepping inside the SmartCage is something I’m completely used to.”

While that may sound somewhat arrogant, El Dafrawy maintains none of that stems from his huge win over two-division champion Al-Selawe.

“There’s no arrogance after beating Jarrah, who was a top contender for the title,” he said. “I’m a fighter who strictly follows the game plan set by my coaching staff, that’s how I beat Jarrah.”

While Alaqraa was victorious in their first meeting back in 2023, El Dafrawy claims it will be a different result second time around.

“I am a completely different fighter from the one Alaqraa faced in our first bout,” he said. “Back then, I wasn’t mentally ready and was going through some difficult personal circumstances. Now, the situation is entirely different, and I’m ready to give my best in the finals. I hope Alaqraa does the same.”

With a championship on the line and a possible pathway into the PFL’s million-dollar global tournament, the stakes are definitely higher in this matchup.

“Alaqraa doesn’t know who he’ll be facing on Nov. 29. I’ve become a completely different fighter with many surprises. No matter how much he studies my previous fights, he won’t be able to predict what I’ll do,” El Dafrawy added.

“He’ll see for himself in the cage.”

The complete PFL MENA Championships fight card:

PFL MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdelrahman Alhyasat (5-0) vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani (9-2)

PFL MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (7-0) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (12-6)

Amateur Women’s Atomweight Bout: Hattan Alsaif vs. Lilia Osmani

PFL MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (11-1) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (15-3)

PFL MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (6-1) vs. Georges Eid (10-4)

Showcase Fights:

Lightweight MENA Showcase: Mansour Barnaoui (21-6) vs. Alfie Davis (17-4-1)

Heavyweight MENA Showcase: Slim Trabelsi (7-0) vs. Abraham Bably (5-0)

Featherweight Global Showcase: Jesus Pinedo (23-6-1) vs. Jeremy Kennedy (19-4)

Featherweight Global Showcase: Asael Adjoudj (8-1) vs. Jose Perez (9-1)

Middleweight Global Showcase: Costello van Steenis (15-3) vs. Joao Dantas (7-1)

Topics: Mixed martial arts PFL

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Michael Thorbjornsen and Maverick McNealy share lead in PGA Tour finale

Updated 22 November 2024
AP
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Michael Thorbjornsen and Maverick McNealy share lead in PGA Tour finale

  • The RSM Classic is the final tournament of the year, and the focus is on the top 125 — this is the final year the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings earn card
Updated 22 November 2024
AP

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Georgia: Michael Thorbjornsen is over his knee surgery and shed the brace in time to post an 8-under 64 on the Plantation course Thursday and share the lead to par with fellow Stanford alum Maverick McNealy at the season-ending RSM Classic on the PGA Tour.

McNealy had an 8-under 62 on the Seaside course at Sea Island, which was more exposed to the chilly wind that ripped through the Golden Isles.

Thorbjornsen wasn’t the most prominent player with knee issues and a brace. Ludvig Aberg, the No. 5 player in the world, had not competed since the Tour Championship, taking time off for meniscus surgery and returning to the site where he tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record.

That record appears safe, at least from him. Aberg’s flawless swing looked strong as ever. It was the short game — chipping and putting — that held him back in his round of 73 at Seaside.

“It was hard. Obviously, it was a rough day,” Aberg said. “It was a lot of rust I felt like, but I also felt like the good was pretty good but the bad was really bad. A little bit of everything today, but all in all, pretty happy to be back playing golf again.”

Ditto for Thorbjornsen, who earned a card as the top-ranked player in PGA Tour University. He was going along well until he felt a pop in his knee while getting ready for the Black Desert Championship in Utah in early October.

He thought he could walk it off until he could hardly walk at all. It turned out to be sprained ligaments in his left knee, which required time off instead of surgery. He returned without missing a step, thankful to no longer be wearing a thick brace.

“It’s actually kind of funny, I was practicing with Ludvig a little bit back in Sawgrass and we both had like matching left knee braces,” Thorbjornsen said. “It was a little embarrassing. I think this is my third day playing without the brace on, so it feels good.”

The RSM Classic is the final tournament of the year, and the focus is on the top 125 — this is the final year the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings earn cards.

The PGA Tour put together Zac Blair (No. 123), Joel Dahmen (No. 124) and Wesley Bryan (No. 125). Bryan had a 70 on the Plantation, Dahmen damaged his hopes with a 73 and Blair came in with a 72.

The other key number is to finish between No. 51 and No. 60 in the FedEx Cup, which would earn spots in $20 million signature events at Pebble Beach and Riviera early next year.

McNealy has done enough to secure those spots. He was more interested in how swing changes are taking effect, and he had some impressive moments. McNealy chipped in from behind the 15th green for eagle. What got his attention were two shots that led to par considering the strong wind on the exposed Seaside course.

He started on No. 10, which during practice was a driver over the bunkers and a sand wedge to the green. With the wind, he couldn’t cover the bunkers and was left a 5-iron to the green.

“Just had to hit two great shots in the middle of the green,” he said.

On his closing hole, the ninth, he faced a hard wind off the right.

“I just steepened left and was able to hit the window (of his target) and spin that ball a little bit left-to-right to hold the wind, and that’s a shot I wasn’t very comfortable with six months ago,” McNealy said.

Andrew Novak, coming off a runner-up finish in Bermuda, had a 7-under 65 on Plantation. Given his location a week ago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where gusts came close to 50 mph, he felt Sea Island was a breeze.

“Today wasn’t as windy as Bermuda and I felt like I could get after some putts and got some to go in,” Novak said.

Topics: golf PGA Tour

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