Yelo League: Decisive matches in the battle for the “second card”
The 32nd round of the Yelo for First Division League (FDL) of Professional Clubs kicks off on Monday, with decisive matches to secure the second ticket to the Roshen League.
In the previous round, NEOM secured the Yelo League title, having secured the first ticket to the Roshen League for the first time in its history.
Three matches will be held on Monday: Al Ain will meet Jeddah, Al Adalah will host Al Batin, and NEOM will host Al Faisaly.
Al Ain are looking for a win to keep their hopes of staying in the top flight alive, as they sit in 16th place with 26 points, seven points from safety. Jeddah, meanwhile, have not won in their last five rounds, diminishing their hopes of snatching a play-off spot, as they sit in ninth place with 42 points.
Al-Adalah will be visiting Al-Batin, looking to regain their winning streak and maintain their chances of snatching the runner-up spot, as they are third with 55 points. Meanwhile, Al-Batin are looking to continue their winning streak and improve their position in the league table, as they are in 11th place with 38 points.
NEOM, the reigning Yelo League champions, will host Al-Faisaly in their first home match since clinching the title. The team will be looking for another win to boost their record points tally of 72, while Al-Faisaly will be looking to secure a win to secure their survival, sitting in 15th place with 33 points.
The round’s competitions will continue on Tuesday, with Al-Safa facing Al-Arabi, Al-Jandal facing Al-Jabalain, Uhud facing Al-Jubail, and Al-Ta’ee facing Al-Zulfi.
Al-Safa’s chances of survival are extremely difficult, as they are in 17th place with 24 points, and have no choice but to win their remaining three matches and wait for their rivals to stumble. Meanwhile, Al-Arabi enters the match in 12th place with 35 points.
Al-Jandal will host Al-Jabalain in a match where the home team will be looking for a win to secure their survival, while the visitors will be looking for points to strengthen their position in the playoff places. Al-Jabalain is in sixth place with 50 points, while Al-Jandal is in 14th place with 34 points.
Al-Ahed will host Al-Jubail in a match that will be a dead-end for the home team after relegation to the second division was confirmed. Al-Ahed is in last place with 21 points, while Al-Jubail is looking for a safe place, as it is in 13th place with 35 points.
Al-Ta’ee will meet Al-Zulfi in a top-of-the-table clash, with both teams seeking to revive their play-off hopes. Al-Ta’ee is in seventh place with 47 points, while Al-Zulfi is in eighth place with 44 points.
The 32nd round of matches concludes on Wednesday, with Abha meeting Al-Najma, while Al-Hazem visits Al-Bukayriyah.
Al-Najma is seeking to regain its winning streak and consolidate its second-place position to edge closer to the Roshen League, while Abha missed out on a play-off spot and hopes to improve its position in the standings, currently sitting tenth with 42 points.
Al-Bukayriyah will host Al-Hazem in the top match of the round, as the fifth-placed team, Al-Bukayriyah, with 51 points, will face Al-Hazem, who are in fourth place with 54 points. The team is still clinging to a chance of direct promotion to the Roshen League, provided they win their remaining matches and wait for Al-Najma and Al-Adalah to stumble.
