Fans gear up for celebrating Al-Ittihad’s lifting of Saudi Pro League title on Wednesday

Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Tens of thousands of Al-Ittihad fans will gather at Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City stadium on Wednesday to celebrate the coronation of their favorite club as the Saudi Pro League Champions after a long wait of 14 years.

Al-Ittihad will take on the 8^th placed Al-Ta’i in the 30s^th round of the league match, which will also witness other final round matches as the curtain falls on the current league season that lasted for 279 days. Al-Ittihad clinched its 9^th title after a long wait since 2009.

Al-Ittihad won the title, after defeating its host Al-Feiha 3-0, last Saturday, moving away by five points than its main rival Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr.

In the rest of the matches, the second-placed Al-Nassr, with 64 points, will meet the sixth-placed Al-Fateh at Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh, while the third-placed Al-Hilal, with 56 points, will face the 9^th placed Al-Raed at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.

After losing four consecutive matches, the 4^th placed Al-Shabab, with 53 points, will meet the 7^th placed Damac at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Al-Mahala, while the fifth-placed Al-Taawon will meet the last-placed Al-Batin at Al-Taawon stadium in Buraidah.

Al-Ittihad, the Asian champions of 2004 and 2005, made outstanding performance during the current season as it lost only three matches, two in the league against Al-Hilal and Al-Taawon, and one in the King’s Cup against Al-Hilal. Al-Ittihad had won the Super Cup title for the first time in its history in January this year.

Al-Ittihad is looking for the 22^nd victory so as to increase the topper’s points from 69 to 72. After Al-Batin relegated to the first division, the second relegation card became confined to three clubs, the 13^th placed Al-Feiha with 30 points, the 14th placed Al-Khaleej with 28 points and the 15th placed Al-Adalah with 28 points.

Al-Feiha needs to beat Al-Wehda in Makkah to ensure its survival in the Saudi Pro League without looking at the rest of the results, either it is tied or lost, with Al-Adalah and Al-Khaleej winning over Ettifaq and Abha, respectively.

Al-Adalah’s victory over Ettifaq in Al-Ahsa will be an instrument of survival, regardless of the results of its competitors, as it outperforms Al-Feiha and Al-Khaleej in direct confrontations.

As for Al-Khaleej, it doesn’t need to beat its guest Abha in Dammam, and then shall wait for one of its competitors to stumble, even if it is a draw, to ensure its survival.