Brendan Rodgers faces arguably his toughest challenge since arriving in Saudi Arabia as Al Qadsiah host league leaders Al Hilal in the Roshn Saudi League this week.
The fixture, which will be broadcast live on SPOTV NOW on January 30 at 1:30AM (GMT+8), pits the league’s most in-form side against its most consistent.
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The former Liverpool and Celtic boss, appointed as a replacement for then-manager Michel on December 16, has overseen a sharp upturn in results.
After kicking off his tenure with a 1-1 draw against Damac, Rodgers has guided Al Qadsiah to seven consecutive league victories.
That run includes notable wins over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and defending champions Al Ittihad, lifting Al Qadsiah to fourth in the table, just one point off second place and six points behind leaders Al Hilal.
A key figure in Al Qadsiah’s strong run of results has been Mexican forward Julian Quinones, who is a joint-top scorer in the league with 16 goals, level with Ronaldo.
Meanwhile, Simone Inzaghi and his unbeaten Al Hilal side head into the match after being held a surprise 1-1 draw with the struggling Al Riyadh despite fielding a strong line-up consisting Darwin Nunez, Theo Hernandez and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
For the upcoming title clash, Inzaghi is expected to welcome back goalkeeper Yassine Bounou from Africa Cup of Nations duty.
As for defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who won the tournament with Senegal, may not be unavailable after the death of his father earlier this week.
Other upcoming Saudi Pro League matches LIVE on SPOTV NOW
Al Ahli vs Al Ettifaq
January 29 @ 1:30AM (GMT+8)
Al Kholood vs Al Nassr
January 31 @ 1:30AM (GMT+8)
Al Ittihad vs Al Najmah
February 2 @ 1:30AM (GMT+8)
Al Riyadh vs Al Nassr
February 2 @ 11:15PM (GMT+8)
Al Hilal vs Al Ahli
February 3 @ 1:30AM (GMT+8)
