Al Hilal vs Al Riyadh prediction, H2H and probable lineups — August 29, 2025
Al Riyadh
In the opening round of the Saudi Pro League, Al Hilal will host Al Riyadh at home. The match is scheduled for Friday, August 29, at 17:50 Central European Time. Let's analyze the goal-scoring potential of both teams in this clash.
Al Hilal
Al Hilal delivered a strong campaign last season, but ultimately failed to defend their Saudi championship title, finishing second to Al Ittihad by an eight-point margin. In the AFC Champions League, the team reached the semifinals before being knocked out by Al Ahli. After the domestic season, Al Hilal competed in the FIFA Club World Cup, making it to the quarterfinals where they narrowly lost 2-1 to Fluminense — their only defeat in the last 12 matches. Over the summer, the team played two more friendlies, confidently winning both by wide margins.
Looking at their head-to-head encounters with Al Riyadh, Al Hilal have the upper hand at home: in seven matches, the hosts have claimed three wins and drawn four times, with both teams finding the net in six out of those seven games.
Al Riyadh
Al Riyadh endured a disappointing season, finishing only 11th in the league and ending up just five points clear of the relegation zone. The end of the campaign proved disastrous: in the final ten rounds, the team managed only one win and two draws, suffering seven defeats. Their preseason has also been far from encouraging — in four friendly matches, they managed just one draw.
Head-to-head stats against Al Hilal are bleak for Al Riyadh: they've yet to beat this opponent and have lost three of the last four encounters. Still, in the previous season, Al Riyadh managed to snatch a 1-1 draw away from home, which was a respectable result for them against the favorites.
Key facts and head-to-head stats
- Al Hilal are unbeaten in 11 of their last 12 matches.
- Three of Al Hilal's last four matches featured over 3.5 goals.
- Both teams scored in three of Al Hilal's last four matches.
- Al Riyadh have failed to win 13 of their last 14 matches.
- Al Hilal have won three of the last four head-to-head meetings.
- Both teams scored in seven of the last eight head-to-head matches.
Probable lineups
- Al Hilal: Bono, Al Hamdan, N. Al-Dawsari, S. Al-Dawsari, Hernandez, Cancelo, Koulibaly, Malcom, Milinković-Savić, Neves, Tambakti.
- Al Riyadh: Al Awadi, Al Essa, Al Tumbukti, Khazazi, Khateer, Toze, Barbe, Baesh, Gonzalez, Ramirez, Seke.
Al Hilal vs Al Riyadh match prediction
Al Hilal are the clear favorites heading into this fixture. Last season's runners-up delivered a solid performance at the Club World Cup and boast a squad filled with high-quality players and consistent form. Al Riyadh, on the other hand, come off a disappointing campaign, a lackluster preseason, and a poor head-to-head record against Al Hilal. As the season has just kicked off and there's no tournament pressure yet, we can expect an open game from both sides. Al Hilal will be eager to secure their first league win and put on a goal-scoring display. My pick for this match is over 3.5 goals at odds of 1.58.
