Al Ittihad and Al Hilal will face each other in a much-anticipated Saudi Pro League clash on Friday at Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium. Ittihad are currently top of the table, while Hilal are third, and the match will have an early-season impact at the top of the standings.
Ittihad are unbeaten in their first four league games, and they have been scoring goals and keeping clean sheets for fun. They have won their last three home games by a combined score of 12-0, and they will be confident of adding to that tally against Hilal.
Hilal have also been in good form in recent weeks, and they are unbeaten in their last four games. They will be looking to cause problems for the Ittihad defense even without new signing Neymar who is recovering from an injury.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Ittihad vs Hilal kick-off time
| Date: | September 1, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 2 pm EDT |
| Venue: | Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium |
The game between Ittihad and Hilal will be played at the Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium on Friday. Kick-off is at 2 pm EDT for fans in the US.
How to watch Ittihad vs Hilal online - TV channels & live streams
 | Shahid | Watch here |
The fixture will be shown live on Shahid in the United States. Match highlights will be shown on the club's official YouTube channels after the full-time whistle. Live updates can be accessed here on GOAL.
Team news & squads
Ittihad team news
Al Ittihad will be playing without their marquee acquisition, Karim Benzema, who had to leave the field due to an injury in the 42nd minute during Monday's clash with Al-Wehda. Ex-Celtic player Jota is expected to make his debut for Al-Ittihad in place of Benzema.
The team's injury roster also features other notable absences, such as Ahmed Hegazy and Abdullah Al-Jadani, both sidelined with ACL injuries, as well as Saudi Arabian midfielder Aseel Abed, who is currently nursing a groin issue.
Ittihad predicted XI: Grohe; Al-Olayan, Hawsawi, Sharahili, Alshanqeeti; Kante, Fabinho; Romarinho, Hamdallah, Coronado; Jota.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Grohe, Al-Mermesh, Al-Ohaymid |
| Defenders: | Sharahili, Al-Sahafi, Hawsawi, Bamsaud, Al-Zahrani, Al-Olayan, Shanqeeti, Al-Asmari |
| Midfielders: | Fabinho, Kante, Hamed, Al-Nashri, Al-Farhan, Coronado, Al-Sahafi |
| Forwards: | Jota, Al-Amri, Al-Aboud, Romarinho, Hamdallah, Camara |
Hilal team news
Neymar, the club's high-profile acquisition from Paris Saint-Germain, has recently recovered from a muscle injury but his debut may need to wait as he tries to become fully fit.
Also on the injury list for the team is 31-year-old defender Hyun-soo Jang, who has been unavailable since sustaining an injury against Damac. Newly-signed Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will also be absent from Friday's game, serving the second suspension in a three-match ban. He had received a straight red card in the clash against Al Raed.
Hilal predicted XI: Bono; Al Shahrani, Al Bulayhi, Jahfali, Abdulhamid; Neves, Kanno; Al Dawsari, Malcolm, Michael; Mitrovic.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Bono, Al-Owais, Al-Wutainan, Al-Mayouf |
| Defenders: | Koulibaly, Tambakti, Al-Boleahi, Al-Mufarrij, Jahfali, Al-Khaibari, Al-Shahrani, Al-Obaid, Abdulhamid, Al-Burayk, Al-Yami |
| Midfielders: | Neves, Al-Malki, Kanno, Al-Dawsari, Al-Faraj, Al-Juwayr |
| Forwards: | Michael, Al-Dawsari, Al-Qahtani, Malcom, Al-Shehri, Al-Hamdan, Radif |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | Al Ittihad 1 - 3 Al Hilal | Arab Club Champions Cup |
| May 2023 | Al Hilal 2 - 2 Al Ittihad | Saudi Pro League |
| April 2023 | Al Ittihad 0 - 1 E Al Hilal | King's Cup |
| January 2023 | Al Ittihad 0 - 1 Al Hilal | Saudi Pro League |
| May 2022 | Al Ittihad 1 - 3 Al Hilal | Saudi Pro League |