The quarter-finals of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup will take place on Tuesday at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. Local team Al-Ahli will face Egypt’s Pyramids. Here’s a look at this matchup and what to expect.
Match Preview
Under coach Matthias Jaissle, Al-Ahli is gaining confidence and developing a strong team spirit. They are currently unbeaten in their last eight official matches. Notably, they have shown resilience, like in the AFC Champions League game against Nasaf, where they came back from a 0-2 deficit to secure a 4-2 victory.
The team’s attacking efforts are led by Riyad Mahrez and new player Enzo Millot, while defenders Demiral and Ibanez provide stability. However, Jaissle has challenges to tackle, as Al-Ahli is only eighth in the national league, which doesn’t reflect the talent in their squad. They recently drew 3-3 at home against Al-Hilal.
Pyramids swiftly handled their first Intercontinental Cup match against Auckland City from New Zealand, winning 4-0 at home and underscoring their position as one of Africa’s top teams.
Last week, Pyramids won against ZED in the Egyptian Premier League, with Zico scoring the decisive goal in the 73rd minute. After six matches, they are fourth in the league, five points behind Zamalek but still have one game in hand.
Probable Line-ups
- Al-Ahli: Mendy, Majrashi, Demiral, Ibanez, Hawsawi, Kessié, Al-Johani, Al-Buraikan, Millot, Mahrez, Toney
- Pyramids: El-Shenawy, Hamdy, Marei, Sami, Chibi, Blati, Atef, Everton, Reda, Magdi, Mayele
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- Al-Ahli is unbeaten in eight matches, with six wins and two draws.
- The “Over 2.5 goals” bet has been successful in three of Al-Ahli’s last four matches.
- These teams have never faced each other in international competitions.
Prediction
Bookmakers are leaning towards the home side, offering odds of approximately 1.78 for an Al-Ahli win. We believe that the quality of the Saudi club will be key, and they will likely secure a victory in what promises to be a competitive match.