Newest Saudi Professional League outcomes, standings & prime scorers

The most recent summer season switch window noticed the rise of the Saudi Professional League.

Generally known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship causes, the division has seen a number of high-profile gamers be part of Cristiano Ronaldo within the Center East, and it’s shortly changing into considered one of soccer’s greatest speaking factors.

Brazillian famous person Neymar Jr was the most recent world-renowned footballer to depart Europe in favour of a transfer to Saudi Arabia after he signed with Al-Hilal on a two-year contract that would see him earn a reported $300m (£235.4m).

DAZN not too long ago secured the rights to broadcast the league’s matches for a two-year interval on a multi-territory foundation, which can undoubtedly proceed to boost the profile of the quickly rising division.

Soccer FanCast brings you the lowdown of all the most recent data and information relating to the competitors.

Saudi Professional League groups

The league is comprised of 18 golf equipment

The Saudi Professional League expanded to 18 groups this season. However realistically, solely 4 sides have an actual likelihood of profitable the title.

Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli are all owned by the Public Funding Fund (PIF), who’re additionally the bulk homeowners of Newcastle United.

A lot of the European footballers who’ve left the continent to affix the RSL this summer season are plying their commerce at one of many aforementioned sides, which seems to have enlarged the gulf in high quality between them and the opposite 14 groups.

Under is a desk displaying all 18 taking part groups, together with their star gamers and managers.

How the Saudi Professional League works

34 matches in a season

Every of the 18 groups play a complete of 34 matches all through the season. Just like the Premier League, the edges face one another twice, each dwelling and away.

Promotions and relegations exist between the Saudi Professional League and the Saudi First Division League. The underside three groups within the Professional League shall be relegated to the second tier, while the highest three-placed groups within the second tier shall be promoted to the highest flight.

The highest two sides will routinely qualify for the group phases of the AFC Champions League, while the third-placed workforce will qualify for the competitors’s play-offs.

If, nonetheless, one of many prime three wins the King Cup – Saudi Arabia’s foremost home cup competitors – the fourth-best workforce can even qualify for the play-offs. Just like the UEFA Champions League, it’s present process a format change in 2024/25.

Groups with essentially the most Saudi Professional League titles

Al-Hilal have been the dominant power for the reason that league’s formation

The Saudi Professional League was based in 1976, and was initially made up of eight groups. Al-Hilal have been the primary champions of the competitors after ending two factors away from runners-up Al-Nassr. The inaugural marketing campaign noticed groups play simply 14 matches.

Now, the division has expanded to 18 sides and is plagued by a plethora of high-profile European footballers, which is a far cry from what it as soon as was.

All through its 47-year historical past, there have been seven completely different winners – this is how the numbers rack up:

The most important rivalries within the Saudi Professional League

One recreation is dubbed the ‘Saudi El Clasico’…

There are three video games within the Saudi Professional League which might be historically colossal affairs.

The ‘Saudi El Clasico’ between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad has developed right into a hotly anticipated fixture as the 2 groups with essentially the most titles collide. The previous resides within the capital metropolis of Riyadh while the latter are based mostly within the Crimson Sea port of Jeddah.

Riyadh and Jeddah are the 2 largest cities in Saudi Arabia, so the 2 golf equipment have naturally typically fought in opposition to one another for the league title through the years.

Unsurprisingly, the head-to-head conferences have seen Al-Hilal come out on prime most of the time, with 47 wins to Al-Ittihad’s 28.

The subsequent assembly between the pair will happen on seventh March 2024 at Al-Hilal’s King Fahd Worldwide Stadium, which additionally hosts worldwide fixtures involving Saudi Arabia, with its earlier tenants together with Al-Shabab and Al-Nassr.

The Riyadh derby between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr can also be an enormous recreation in that specific area, while Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli, who’re each based mostly in Jeddah, can also be a giant fixture.

Gamers who joined the Saudi Professional League in the summertime

Neymar accomplished an £85m transfer from PSG

The summer season switch window was one of many craziest but. And that’s largely as a result of variety of distinguished European-based footballers leaving the continent to affix the Saudi Professional League.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s extensively considered one of many best footballers of all time, joined the RSL on the finish of 2022, and it seems that switch was the catalyst for various high-calibre gamers to comply with swimsuit.

Al-Hilal signed Neymar Jr from Paris Saint-Germain for a charge believed to be within the area of €100m (£85.2m), while the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, Sadio Mané, Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Ruben Neves, amongst many others, have additionally joined the division.

Learn Extra: All The Main Saudi Professional League Transfers and Rumours

Al-Hilal additionally made a speculative effort to attempt to signal French ahead Kylian Mbappé by submitting a £259m bid, however he reportedly rejected the proposal and appears set to remain in Paris, at the least for an additional 12 months.

Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrović was one of many newest huge names to affix the RSL after Al-Hilal secured his providers for a charge believed to be within the area of £50m.

Mitrović joined with Moroccan World Cup hero Yassine Bounou, who additionally penned a deal on the Riyadh-based membership, while former Atalanta centre-back Merih Demiral left Serie A to signal with Al-Ahli, who’re spearheaded by Mahrez and Firmino.

21-year-old Gabri Veiga joined Demiral at Al-Ahli after he accomplished a €36m (£30.9m) transfer from LaLiga facet Celta Vigo. The promising teen had curiosity from a number of sides within the Premier League and in Europe however opted to make the swap to the Center East.

Most costly Saudi Professional League transfers of all time:

Newest Saudi Professional League information

Al-Ittihad not too long ago dismissed former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo

Al-Ittihad boss Nuno Espirito Santo acquired the sack on Tuesday after his facet suffered a 2-0 defeat to Iraqi membership Al Quwa Al Jawiya within the Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) Champions League.

The Jeddah-based membership have been additionally dealt a defeat by Al-Shabab within the Saudi Professional League simply days prior, leaving them in seventh, 11 factors adrift of Al-Hilal.

Assistant coach Hassan Khalifa will take interim cost of the reigning champions ’till the completion of the procedures for hiring a brand new coach’.

Newest Saudi Professional League outcomes

Al-Nassr proceed to use stress on the league leaders Al-Hilal

Al-Hilal stay prime of the league after securing a 2-0 away victory in opposition to Al-Fateh, while Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr picked up a 3rd successive victory following their dwelling win over the relegation-threatened Al-Khaleej.

Al-Taawoun continued their stuttering kind after taking part in out a goalless draw in opposition to Damac, and on the foot of the desk, Al-Raed earned a invaluable level away at Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq.

Here is how the present standings lie after 12 video games:

Prime goalscorers within the Saudi Professional League

4 former Premier League gamers make up the highest 10

Ronaldo stays prime of the goalscoring charts after netting a perfectly struck long-range effort in his facet’s 2-0 win in opposition to Al-Khaleej.

Former Fulham ahead Mitrovic continued his spectacular begin to life at Al-Hilal after netting his ninth league purpose of the season, taking his tally to fifteen throughout all competitions.

Newest Saudi Professional League fixtures

Motion resumes on Thursday

Matchweek 13 commences on Thursday, ninth November. Maybe essentially the most notable fixture of the day is the star-studded Al-Ahli’s away conflict at Eleventh-placed Damac.

Two title hopefuls resume motion on Friday, with league leaders Al-Hilal welcoming third-placed Al-Taawoun, while Al-Ittihad host mid-table facet Abha.

Saturday’s motion sees Al-Nassr make the journey to Al-Wehda, as they appear to shut the hole on Al-Hilal on the summit of the league desk.