Italian coach Simone Inzaghi, manager of Al-Hilal, has finalized his starting lineup for the highly anticipated match against Al-Ittihad, a top fixture in the 23rd round of the Saudi Professional League. The Kingdom Arena, Al-Hilal's home ground, will host this fiery encounter, eagerly awaited by Saudi and Arab fans alike.

The importance of El Clásico and the battle for the top spot

The Al-Hilal vs. Al-Ittihad match holds immense strategic importance, transcending the mere three-pointer. It represents the "Saudi Arabian football classic," a fixture that garners widespread global attention, particularly given the Saudi league's attraction of some of the world's biggest stars. This match comes at a crucial juncture in the competition, with Al-Hilal aiming to solidify its dominance and strengthen its position in the standings, while Al-Ittihad hopes to secure a positive result at the home of its traditional rival. Historically, encounters between these two teams are always thrilling and fiercely contested, with even the smallest details often proving decisive in determining the title race.

Inzaghi is betting on a powerful attacking force

On the tactical front, Simone Inzaghi decided to deploy his strongest lineup from the first minute, aiming to settle the match early and avoid any surprises. Chief among these options is relying on French star Karim Benzema to lead the attack, a move designed to capitalize on his vast experience in big matches. The coach will also depend on the midfield solidity of Portuguese Ruben Neves and Serbian Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, along with the dynamism of Nasser Al-Dawsari, to ensure control of the midfield, which is key to victory in such encounters.

The situation of the injured and the final touches

Regarding absences and availability, all eyes are on left-back Theo Hernandez, whose final position in the starting lineup will be determined by the last group training session. The player returned to training in recent hours, increasing his chances of being included in the squad, but the medical and coaching staff prefer to wait until the last minute to ensure he is fully fit.

Al-Hilal's expected lineup for the match against Al-Ittihad

Based on recent training sessions and coach Inzaghi's tactical vision, Al-Hilal's lineup for the match is as follows:

• Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou.
• Defense line: Mutaib Al-Harbi (or Theo Hernandez if fully fit), Kalidou Koulibaly, Hassan Tambakti, Hamad Al-Yami.
• Midfield: Ruben Neves, Sergej Savic, Nasser Al-Dawsari.
• Attack line: Malcolm Philippe, Salem Al-Dawsari, Karim Benzema.

In a historic move marking a major turning point for global football, UEFA has officially approved FIFA's proposal to expand the Club World Cup. Under this agreement, the number of participating clubs will increase to 48 in future editions, reflecting a shared desire to enhance global competitiveness and provide greater opportunities for clubs from different continents to compete on the international stage.

According to a report published by the British newspaper The Guardian, negotiations between the two parties were successful. The report stated: "UEFA agrees to FIFA's plan to increase the number of clubs in the Club World Cup to 48, up from 32." This decision will reshape the landscape of club competitions, bringing it closer in format and size to the FIFA World Cup, which is FIFA's aim to achieve in order to increase the tournament's economic and fan appeal.

Success of the United States version

This strategic decision follows the resounding success of the last edition of the tournament, hosted by the United States. That edition served as the cornerstone for the expanded format, featuring 32 clubs for the first time in the competition's history. The American experience demonstrated the tournament's ability to attract widespread global attention and generate unprecedented marketing for broadcasting and sponsorship rights, encouraging decision-makers at FIFA and UEFA to move forward with further expansion.

Chelsea crowned champions at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain

On a technical level, the last edition witnessed fierce competition, culminating in Chelsea's victory. The Blues secured the title with a resounding win over French giants Paris Saint-Germain. This victory not only confirmed the dominance of European clubs in the tournament but also showcased the high quality of matches in the final stages of the new format, reinforcing the belief in the need to continue and develop this competitive system.

Dimensions of the decision and its impact on global football

The expansion from 32 to 48 teams has significant economic and sporting implications. Economically, FIFA aims to maximize revenue by increasing the number of matches, thereby attracting more sponsors and advertisers. Sportingly, the increased number of slots will allow for greater participation from clubs in Africa, Asia, and South America, reducing the competitive gap between these clubs and their European counterparts.

However, this expansion presents logistical and technical challenges related to the already congested international match calendar, a point of contention between UEFA and FIFA before this agreement was reached. The recent agreement appears to indicate a consensus on how to integrate the expanded tournament without significantly disrupting domestic leagues or player welfare, thus ushering football into a new era of comprehensive globalization.

Al-Ittihad's first football team faces a genuine technical crisis just hours before the highly anticipated Saudi Arabian football classic against Al-Hilal, in the 23rd round of the Saudi Professional League. This match, to be held at Al-Hilal's new home ground, the Kingdom Arena, comes at a time when Al-Ittihad is striving to solidify its position in the league standings.

The list of absences is disrupting the stability of the club

Al-Ittihad's coaching staff suffered a major blow with the confirmed absence of eight players from this crucial match, leaving the coach with a difficult tactical dilemma in replacing these key players. The list of absentees for the derby includes influential names in both the starting lineup and the reserves, most notably French star Moussa Diaby, a key attacking player, along with international striker Saleh Al-Shehri, solid defender Hassan Kadesh, and full-back Mario Mitaï. The list also includes the young and impactful quartet of Faisal Al-Ghamdi, Abdulrahman Al-Aboud, and Ahmed Al-Julaidan, significantly reducing the available options on the bench.

The importance of El Clásico and the history of their encounters

Matches between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal hold special significance, transcending the mere value of three points. They represent the "Saudi Clasico," a highly anticipated fixture followed by fans across the Arab world and Asia. This encounter comes amidst a fierce historical rivalry between the two Saudi football giants. Al-Hilal aims to capitalize on home advantage at their new "Kingdom Arena" stadium to reaffirm their dominance, while Al-Ittihad seeks to defy expectations and overcome their depleted squad to pull off a major upset and restore their morale against their traditional rivals.

Al-Ittihad's ambitions and the team's situation

Al-Ittihad enters the match aiming for a victory or at least a positive result to improve their position in the Roshan Professional League standings. The club's primary objective at this stage is securing a spot in next season's continental competitions (the AFC Champions League), which requires accumulating as many points as possible in the remaining rounds, especially against direct rivals.

The final morale boost

Despite significant absences, Al-Ittihad is bolstered by the morale boost gained from their recent victory in the last round, where they defeated Al-Fayha 2-1. This win gave the players a much-needed confidence boost before the upcoming derby, but the biggest challenge will be how the coaching staff manages the numerical disadvantage and counters Al-Hilal's formidable midfield presence.