Aston Villa akan berhadapan dengan Lille di babak 16 besar Liga Europa, sementara Nottingham Forest harus mengalahkan Midtjylland untuk tetap berada di jalur menuju kejayaan Eropa pada musim 2025-26. The Villans dengan mudah melewati fase grup, memastikan kualifikasi otomatis, sementara The Reds harus melewati laga playoff eliminasi yang berat melawan raksasa Turki, Fenerbahce.
Bintang Nottingham Forest, Ola Aina, mengejek mantra terkenal Fenerbahce "selamat datang di neraka" setelah timnya menang 3-0 di Türkiye. Tim Premier League itu menang 3-0 di kandang lawan pada leg pertama babak playoff, berkat gol dari Murillo, Igor Jesus, dan Morgan Gibbs-White.
Begitulah! Era Sean Dyche di Nottingham Forest secara resmi berakhir - setelah hanya 114 hari dan 18 pertandingan Premier League, dengan hasil imbang 0-0 di kandang melawan Wolves yang berada di dasar klasemen menjadi titik baliknya. Dyche meninggalkan City Ground dengan tim berada di peringkat ke-17, hanya tiga poin di atas zona degradasi, dengan 12 pertandingan tersisa dari musim 2025-26.
Robin van Persie merasa sangat terpukul setelah melihat putranya, Shaqueel, mengalami cedera lutut serius saat Feyenoord kalah di Liga Europa melawan Real Betis. Pemain berusia 19 tahun itu ditandu keluar lapangan di Seville hanya delapan menit setelah masuk dari bangku cadangan, meninggalkan ayahnya yang juga manajer dan merasa hancur di pinggir lapangan, saat ia mengakui bahwa "tanda-tanda awal tidak terlihat baik" terkait parahnya cedera tersebut.
Lille tidak berhasil memanfaatkan keunggulan jumlah pemain selama satu jam yang membuat mereka belum aman untuk lolos ke play-off 16 Besar bukan unggulan Liga Europa.
Al-Hilal are the most successful Saudi Pro League side ever, having won an astonishing 19 league titles. Their first-ever league title came at the end of the 1976-77 campaign. Currently, they are also the defending champions, having gone all the way in the 2023-24 season.
How many teams are in the Saudi Pro League?
Currently, there are 18 teams in the Saudi Pro League. In the first season ever, which took place in 1976-77, there were just eight teams. The number increased to 10 in the following season. Ahead of the 1981-82, Saudi Premier League and Saudi First Division merged to form one single league for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. However, from the 1984-85 season, the number teams reverted to 12.
Who has made the most Saudi Pro League appearances ever?
Legendary Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea holds the record for most appearances in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Deayea played for Al-Taee and Al-Hilal and managed 406 appearances inthe league.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the Saudi Pro League?
Majed Abdullah, also known as the Arabian Pele, is the league's all-time leading topscorer with 189 goals in 194 league games, all of them coming with Al-Nassr in a 21-year span. He is Al-Nassr's record goalscorer, with 259 goals in just 266 games.
Who has the most assists in the history of the Saudi Pro League?
Former Syrian midfielder Jehad Al-Hussain has registered the most assists in Saudi Pro League history, setting up 50 goals for his teammates in 208 games.
Who is the oldest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?
Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to ever feature in Saudi Pro League. El Hadary was 45 years and 81 days old when he featured for Al-Taawoun in April 2018.
Who is the youngest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?
Teenage sensation Talal Haji, who plays for Al-Ittihad, is the youngest player to ever play in Saudi Pro League. Haji achieved this feat at the age of 16 years and five days when he came on as a substitute for Romarinho in Al-Ittihad's 2-1 win over Al-Fateh in September 2023.
Which famous players have played in the Saudi Pro League?
Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, Yassine Bounou, Nacho, Aymeric Laporte, and Fabinho are among the most famous players to have played in the Saudi Pro League.
Which famous managers have managed in the Saudi Pro League?
Steven Gerrard, Laurent Blanc, and Stefano Pioli are some of Saudi Pro League's most prominent managers in history.
What is the biggest stadium in the Saudi Pro League?
The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, which is home to Al-Shabab and Al-Riyadh, is the biggest stadium in Saudi Pro League. It has a capacity of 68,752.
Who is the most expensive player in the history of the Saudi Pro League?
Neymar is the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history, costing a whopping £77.6 million when Al-Hilal bought him from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.