Winter Report: Al Ittihad's title tilt, Al Hilal's bid to retain, Al Qadsiah deliver on ambition

With the 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League paused for winter, we look at how each club has performed until this point.

Who’s been the team's biggest contributor? Which signings have proved astute signings? Which of their RSL game stands out most? How well has the manager moulded his side? And, perhaps most importantly, what can the club rightfully aim for when the RSL returns on January 9?

We'll break up the assessments in groups of three, based on the league standings after Matchweek 13. First up, the clubs placed first to third in the table.

Al Ittihad (1st, 36 points)

What a season thus far for the Jeddah giants. Champions in 2022-23, disappointing title defence last term (when they finished fifth), Al Ittihad lead the way now. Laurent Blanc’s side have won a hugely impressive 12 of 13 league matches this campaign to sit at the summit, with the second-best attack (32 goals scored) and second-best defence (nine conceded) to give the division’s healthiest goal difference (+23).

Key Player: Karim Benzema – the captain has already surpassed last season’s total goal tally, with 10 in 10 RSL appearances placing him joint-second in the race for the golden boot. However, it’s the Frenchman’s influence off the pitch, too; Benzema was a key figure in the club’s summer revamp and his input has been vindicated.

Standout Signing: Moussa Diaby – that the Frenchman has shone brightest from the collection of successful summer additions says it all. Diaby has been electric out wide for Al Ittihad, and leads the league in assists, with 10 in 10 matches. Ally that with a goal, also, and his debut campaign in the Kingdom has started superbly.

Best Match: Al Ittihad 7-1 Al Wehda – the season’s most comprehensive result remains Al Ittihad’s thumping “Old Derby” win in Matchweek 3 in mid-September. The hosts at King Abdullah Sports City were simply phenomenal, going in front as early as the second minute through Benzema before running away from the match after Al Wehda has halved the deficit at 2-1. Benzema notched a hat-trick, Diaby nabbed four assists and new signing Steven Bergwijn laid on two goals as well.

Manager’s Impact: Laurent Blanc – encouraged to come to the club in part by compatriot Benzema, the former Paris-Saint Germain head coach has settled fantastically, guiding Al Ittihad to the top of the table with a remarkable record. After going through two managers last season, the league leaders have a man in place who marries rapid forward play with a robustness at the back. Successive RSL Manager of the Month awards are testament to that.

Hopes: Given where they are positioned in the standings, and how exciting they have been, there’s surely only one target for Al Ittihad: the RSL title. What’s more, with their only league defeat coming at the hands of Al Hilal (3-1 in Matchweek 4), they’ll be out for revenge when the two sides meet again, this time in Jeddah, in Matchweek 21. With Al Hilal second, it could have a major say on the destination of the championship.

Al Hilal (2nd, 34 points)

After last season’s record-breaking title triumph, the Riyadh luminaries have shown their grip on the trophy will not be easily prised. Al Hilal led the table for most of the campaign before being supplanted by Al Ittihad in Matchweek 11. Of their 13 RSL games, Jorge Jesus’ side have won 11, drawn one (1-1 in the Capital Derby at Al Nassr) and lost the other.

On that, the 3-2 defeat away to Al Khaleej in Matchweek 11 represented Al Hilal’s first league loss in an incredible 47 matches – a run that stretched all the way back to the 2022-23 season.

Key Player: Aleksandar Mitrovic – even though Al Hilal have had plenty of excellent performers thus far, it’s pretty difficult to look past the man who has an unparalleled knack of finding the net. Mitrovic, now in his second season in the Kingdom, has 12 goals in 13 RSL appearances to head the 2024-25 scoring charts. In fact, he has netted four doubles, to carry him to an unbelievable return of 40 goals in 41 league matches for the club.

Standout Signing: Joao Cancelo – perhaps the best compliment you can pay the highly decorated right-back is that Al Hilal have not missed Saud Abdulhamid, who departed in August in a history-making move to AS Roma. Cancelo was then signed from Manchester City having played a key role in their treble-winning 2022-23 season. In the RSL, he has four assists from 11 appearances, highlighting his attacking thrust.

Best Match: Al Hilal 3-1 Al Ittihad – two sides met in Matchweek 4 having each opened the season with three wins on the bounce. Al Ittihad arrived at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium on the back of their evisceration of Al Wehda, but were behind within three minutes, two down after 14 (Mitrovic scored both) and even further behind on 37 minutes, thanks to Salem Al Dawsari’s fine solo effort. Benzema pulled one back four minutes from time, but Al Hilal were more than worthy winners.

Manager’s Impact: Jorge Jesus, RSL Manager of the Year last season, has continued to shape an almost-impenetrable team, with those 11 victories from 13 obvious proof. His input has been even more notable considering he lost one of his best players, in Abdulhamid, and has had to deal with Neymar’s continued absence and an injury to midfield lynchpin Ruben Neves. Al Hilal's attacking play, with full-backs Cancelo and Renan Lodi crucial and contributing, is a joy to watch.

Hopes: For a club of such history, anything less than retaining the RSL title will be deemed a disappointment. Yes, Al Hilal have more of a battle to keep hold of the trophy than they had in winning the championship last term, but they most certainly cannot be written off. Far from it. Keeping pace with Al Ittihad, they have the expertise and experience to overthrow their rivals.

Al Qadsiah (3rd, 28 points)

It’s not often newly promoted sides perform in the upper echelon of the RSL, but then again, Al Qadsiah are no normal club. The Al Khobar outfit signalled their intention this summer, with one of the most aggressive and ambitious recruitment drives the Kingdom has witnessed – and, boy, how it's paid off. Michel’s men moved into third just before the winter break, and are one of the competition's in-form teams, with six wins on the bounce.

Key Player: Julian Quinones – the Mexican could fall into both the categories detailed here, since he has been brilliant following his summer arrival from Club America in his homeland. Having kicked off his career in the Kingdom with a brace on the opening day, Quinones has really come into his own recently, with five goals in his past six RSL matches to sit on seven from 11 overall.

Standout Signing: Nacho – bringing in the Real Madrid great, fresh from leading the Spanish super club to the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League trophy, always promised much. The six-time European Cup winner has brought his know-how to the Al Qadsiah backline, who boast the best defence in the competition (eight goals conceded) and the most clean sheets (also eight). With Nacho marshalling matters, he is a captain in every sense of the word.

Best Match: Al Nassr 1-2 Al Qadsiah – Al Qadsiah arrived at Al Awwal Park in Matchweek 11 seeking to compete with one of the competition’s two unbeaten sides - and then left with all three points. The visitors went 1-0 down just after the half hour to Cristiano Ronaldo, but rebounded almost immediately through Quinones. Al Qadsiah took the spoils via Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s finish five minutes after half-time – a well-worked effort that was later voted BSF Goal of the Week.

Manager’s Impact: Michel – there’s another Real Madrid legend in Al Khobar, who has been equally as instrumental as Nacho. Michel deserves considerable credit for gelling an albeit-talented squad in no time at all. The Spaniard cuts a calm and confident figure on the touchline, with his team exceptionally difficult to beat. One thing Michel would no doubt want to improve upon, though: Al Qadsiah have scored only 19 goals in 13 matches.

Hopes: Al Qadsiah came into the season hoping to make what people viewed a “Big Four” a quintet – and are more than on track to deliver on that target. They could argue the winter break came at an inopportune time after reeling off six successive wins, but a top-four finish in their first campaign back would provide a sturdy platform from which to build. Or are they looking even further up the table?