Yelo League: NEOM to clinch the title, with upcoming playoff matches.
The 31st round of the Saudi Professional League kicks off on Monday, with NEOM potentially clinching the title, just days after making history by securing promotion to the Roshen League for the first time.
The Yelo League is entering its final stages, with competition for second place, which qualifies for the Roshen League, and the playoff spots, which will determine the third team to advance to the top flight.
Three matches will be held on Monday to kick off the round. Al-Adalah will face Ohod, Al-Tai will host Al-Arabi, and Al-Faisaly will host Al-Batin.
Al-Adalah has revived its hopes of clinching second place, a position they are still five points behind, as they sit third with 54 points. Ohod, meanwhile, faces relegation if they lose, as they sit at the bottom of the table with 20 points, 12 points adrift of the relegation places.
Al-Arabi hosts Al-Tai in a mission in which both teams seek to regain their lost winning streak, especially Al-Tai, who is seeking a victory that would reclaim the play-off places. They currently sit in seventh place with 44 points, while Al-Arabi sits in 12th place with 35 points.
Al-Faisaly will seek to secure their survival when they host Al-Batin. Al-Faisaly sits in 14th place with 33 points, seven points above the relegation zone, while Al-Batin sits in 11th place with 35 points.
The round continues on Tuesday, with Al-Hazem hosting Al-Ain, Abha facing Al-Jabalain, and league leaders NEOM visiting Jeddah in a bid to clinch the title.
Al-Hazem is seeking to regain its winning streak and cling to its hopes of direct promotion to the Roshen League, sitting fourth with 53 points, six points behind runner-up Al-Najma. Meanwhile, Al-Ain is seeking a win to maintain its slim chances of survival, sitting in 16th place with 25 points.
Abha will host Al-Jabalain in a tough match between the tenth-placed team with 41 points and the sixth-placed team with 47 points, seeking a win to strengthen their position in the playoff spots, which Abha trails by six points.
In an anticipated match, league leaders NEOM will host Jeddah in a match that could see NEOM declared the Yelo League champion for the first time in its history. The team needs only three points from its remaining four matches, regardless of the results of the other teams.
NEOM leads the standings with 69 points, 10 points ahead of its closest rivals. They enter the match buoyed by their historic promotion to the Roshen League, which they hope to complete with a first-division title. Jeddah, on the other hand, is looking for a win, which they have not won in four rounds, to move them closer to the play-off places, as they currently sit ninth with 42 points.
The round’s matches conclude on Wednesday, with Al Jubail facing Al Jandal, Al Zulfi facing Al Safa, and Al Najma hosting Al Bukayriyah in the top match of the round.
Al-Jubail, in 15th place with 32 points, will host Al-Jandal, in 13th place with 34 points, with each team seeking a win to secure their place in the league.
Al-Zulfi will host Al-Safa in a new mission to continue the victories that have brought them close to the playoff places, as they sit in eighth place with 43 points. Meanwhile, Al-Safa’s chances of survival are extremely difficult, as their tally has stagnated at 23 points, in the penultimate place.
In an anticipated summit, Al-Najma will host Al-Bukayriyah, with both sides aiming to snatch the three points. Al-Najma is close to securing its second promotion ticket to the Roshen League, sitting in second place with 59 points, five points ahead of its closest rivals. Meanwhile, Al-Bukayriyah is seeking to consolidate its position in the play-off places, sitting fifth with 48 points.
