All eyes in Saudi football, particularly those in the Eastern Province, are on Al-Ettifaq's training camp, where the team's coaching staff is experiencing a state of anticipation and anxiety. National coach Saad Al-Shehri, who leads Al-Ettifaq, is eagerly awaiting the results of the detailed medical tests that French striker Moussa Dembélé underwent on Sunday evening. These tests are a crucial step in determining the player's readiness and his ability to participate in the highly anticipated and crucial match against Al-Shabab in the Saudi Professional League.

Moussa Dembélé, 29, is a key player in Al-Ettifaq's attacking lineup this season. His importance and direct impact on the team's results are evident in his 13 official appearances for the club this season, during which he scored five crucial goals and provided one assist in 1025 minutes of play. This makes him a valuable asset that the coaching staff hopes to retain in such important matches.

The Al-Ettifaq Stadium is set to host this crucial match, as they welcome Al-Shabab at 10:00 PM next Saturday, in the 25th round of the Roshan League. This game holds added importance for both teams given their positions in the standings and their desire to improve their rankings before the season concludes.

Considering the two teams' positions in the league table before kickoff, Al-Ettifaq enters the match in seventh place with 38 points, hoping to capitalize on home advantage and secure three points to move closer to the top four or at least improve their comfortable mid-table position. Meanwhile, Al-Shabab is experiencing an exceptionally difficult season, currently sitting in thirteenth place with 25 points, a position unbecoming of the club's illustrious history. This makes the match a crucial cup final for Al-Shabab, who are desperately seeking to escape the relegation zone and regain their footing in the league.

Matches between Al-Ettifaq and Al-Shabab always carry a special significance, characterized by intense rivalry and historical excitement in Saudi football, with each side striving to assert its dominance. Under the guidance of Saad Al-Shehri, Al-Ettifaq aims to deliver a disciplined tactical performance. However, the potential absence of Dembele may force the coach to seek alternative attacking solutions to compensate for the French striker's potent attacking force, especially against a resolute Al-Shabab defense determined to secure a positive result.

On a dramatic football night at the Velodrome stadium, veteran Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang established himself as a national hero in southern France, after saving his team Marseille from certain defeat and leading them to an exciting "remontada" victory over their guest Lyon with a score of 3-2, on Sunday evening at the conclusion of the twenty-fourth round of the French Football League.

A crazy scenario at the Olympic summit

The match was more than just an ordinary encounter; it was a direct battle for European qualification. Marseille found themselves in an unenviable position after conceding an early goal to Corentin Tolisso after just three minutes. Although substitute Igor Baixao equalized in the 52nd minute, the visitors regained the lead through Rémy Ambert in the 76th minute.

As the match drew to a close, and Marseille looked set to fall eight points adrift of third place and a Champions League qualification spot, Aubameyang turned the game around. The Gabonese star scored the equalizer in the 81st minute, before sending the Velodrome into raptures with a dramatic winner in the first minute of stoppage time (90+1), securing three precious points for his team.

The impact of winning on the Champions League battle

This victory holds immense strategic importance for Marseille, transcending the mere significance of winning a derby or a classic encounter. Direct qualification for the Champions League guarantees French clubs substantial financial returns and enhances their appeal in the transfer market. Thanks to Aubameyang's brace, Marseille has narrowed the gap with third-placed Lyon to just two points, reshuffling the title race and placing immense pressure on their rivals in the remaining rounds.

Habib B and Kombouaré's fingerprint

This victory is credited to the new coach, Habib Bey, who took over in emergency circumstances on February 18th, succeeding the Italian Roberto De Zerbi. Bey succeeded in instilling a fighting spirit in the team, which was clearly demonstrated by their comeback in the final minutes.

In a related development concerning the coaches' rivalry, Antoine Kombouaré passed his first test with Paris FC, the newly promoted club owned by the wealthy Arnault family. Kombouaré led the team to a valuable 1-0 victory over Nice, courtesy of a goal from Marshall Munetsi, ending a run of six consecutive defeats. The experienced coach demonstrated his tactical acumen by making bold changes, most notably dropping former captain Maxime Lopez, confirming that the "redeemment game" for the Parisian family's ambitious project has truly begun.

Impactful results at the bottom and top of the league standings

The round also saw Lille continue their impressive run, securing their third consecutive victory with a late goal against Nantes (1-0), bringing their points tally to 40 and deepening the relegation woes of Nantes. Brest also achieved a heroic win with ten men against bottom-of-the-table Metz, thanks to a goal from Ludovic Ajorque, keeping them in contention for ninth place. Meanwhile, Lorient and Auxerre played out a thrilling 2-2 draw.

The technical staff of the first football team of Al-Ittihad Club, led by the Portuguese coach Conceição, received a huge moral and technical boost a few days before playing the anticipated derby match against the traditional rival Al-Ahli Club, as part of the next round of the Saudi Professional League.

The return of injured players revitalizes Al-Ittihad's training sessions

The evening training session of Al-Ittihad team on Sunday witnessed good news for Al-Ittihad fans with the participation of the duo Ahmed Al-Jalidan and Saleh Al-Shehri in group training, after their full recovery from the injury that afflicted them in the past period and kept them away from participating in the last matches, which put the technical staff in a predicament due to the absences.

The return of this duo represents a significant numerical and tactical boost for coach Conceição. Statistics show that Ahmed Al-Julaidan has played 23 matches for Al-Ittihad this season, totaling 843 minutes. Although he hasn't scored or assisted, his presence adds depth to the squad. Meanwhile, Saleh Al-Shehri is a valuable attacking option, having participated in 19 matches, scoring four goals and providing one assist in 514 minutes of play. This makes him a crucial tactical choice for unlocking opposing defenses.

The importance of the derby and points calculations

This match holds immense importance, transcending its status as a mere three-pointer; it is the "Jeddah Derby," a fixture imbued with historical significance and a unique competitive edge both locally and regionally. The encounter comes at a crucial juncture in the league, as each team strives to solidify its position in the standings before the season's conclusion.

Both teams enter the match with complex calculations; Al-Ittihad will be a tough opponent for Al-Ahli at 10:00 PM next Friday in the 25th round of the Roshan League. Before this encounter, Al-Ittihad sits in fifth place in the standings with 42 points, a position that falls short of the ambitions of the club's fans, who are hoping for a victory to move closer to the top four and secure an Asian Champions League spot.

On the other hand, Al-Ahli is enjoying a more stable run of form, currently sitting in second place with 59 points. They are striving for a victory to close the gap on the league leaders and maintain their title hopes until the very end, or at least secure their runner-up position. These factors make this a highly tactical and psychological battle, and the return of Al-Ittihad's injured players could be a game-changer on this highly anticipated night.