Al Riyadh vs Al Taawon: Bottom-half rivals with a tight recent history

Al Taawon have not won a league match all season, yet they have taken two of the last five meetings with Al Riyadh. That contradiction sits at the heart of Saturday’s Pro League clash at SHG Arena.

Two sides near the foot of the table

Neither side is comfortable in the standings. Al Riyadh are 13th of 18 with nine points from nine games, while Al Taawon are 17th, second from bottom, with four points from ten and a goal difference of -13. Al Riyadh’s -9 is also a concern, but it is a far smaller hole than the one their visitors have dug.

Form pointing in different directions

Al Riyadh’s recent results read LDWDL, a touch more encouraging than their season as a whole. At home they have won two of three, though their defence has been leaky, conceding 18 goals in nine league games. Al Taawon’s away record is bleaker still: no wins from five trips, and a last-five run of LDLLL. They have scored only four goals all season.

What the recent meetings reveal

The head-to-head record is finely balanced, and recent results suggest neither side has a clear grip on the fixture. Al Riyadh won 1-0 at home in January 2025, but Al Taawon hit back with a 3-2 win in May that year. The return in January saw Al Taawon win 3-1 in Riyadh, before the most recent meeting, in May, ended 1-1 in Taawon’s favour of a point each. Across five games, the scorelines show how close these encounters have been, with one goalless draw in the mix.

Our prediction

PreviaXI’s model favours Al Taawon, and the numbers make sense in football terms: the visitors have looked the more potent side in recent meetings and have been the more dangerous on the break. Al Riyadh’s home advantage is real but has not been enough to offset a leaky backline, so a narrow away win looks the most likely outcome. Both teams finding the net would not be a surprise either.

Al Riyadh 1-2 Al Taawon