Hilal and Al-Ittihad are once again face to face in the final match of the Saudi Premier League which concludes on Sunday with six matches. King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh will host the two sides who enter the final in a same scenario of 2007-2008 football season. At that time, a late header from international striker Yasser Al-Qahtani sealed a 1-0 victory over Jeddah-based club. Al-Ittihad enters the final encounter with two chances as the team tops the ranking with 52 points, two ahead of the defending champion Al-Hilal which needs a must-win to bag the trophy while a draw will be enough for Ittihad. There is also an interesting challenge at the bottom of the league for Abha and Al-Raed who fight to remain among the top teams. Earlier on Wednesday, Al-Watani bowed out of the Saudi League after a 2-2 draw against Al-Ahli in Tabuk. But focus will be in Riyadh where Prince Sultan Bin Fahd, Chairman of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare, patronizes Hilal-Ittihad clash to hand over the trophy to the winner. Host Al-Hilal is in high spirits after its first win in the AFC Champions League following a 2-1 victory over UAE's Al-Ahli. Shortly after the match, Riyadh's fans were shocked to hear that their striker Al-Qahtani has undergone an operation that may keep him out of the final. Al-Hilal's new coach Leekins said that he would wait until Sunday to see the progress of his striker. Leekins is also worried about some injuries to his players, including defenders Majed Al-Marshadi and Mohammed Nami. Tariq Al-Taib, Christian Wilhelmsson and Meril Radoi have proved themselves in the midfield while former international goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Daeyea also boosts the team's hopes with his steady performance recently. Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad will be looking to avenge its last year's defeat and win one of the major titles in Saudi Arabia after losing two competitions. The team coach Calderon will be missing the Egyptian striker Emad Meteb who suffered a knee injury during the AFC Champions League match against Al-Jazira in UAE last Wednesday. Promising striker Naif Hazazi will take the frontline mission alongside Moroccan Hicham Aboucherouane. Ittihad captain Mohammed Noor is also another winning card for Calderon especially after his performance with the national team was appreciated. Regardless of the Sunday's result, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad will represent the country in the next ACL besides their qualification for the King's Cup of Champions that will kick off few weeks after the conclusion of the league. Another six teams will also struggle to book their seats in the King's competition that will be drawn on Monday. Al-Nasr will host Najran at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh and Al-Ahli plays Al-Hazm in Jeddah. In Makkah, Al-Wehdah takes on Al-Watani while Abha and Al-Raed will have another battle to survive as they play Al-Shabab and Al-Ittifaq respectively. All matches will be kicked off at 8:40 P.M. Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad match will be broadcast on Romanian Sport channel, Saudi TV, Abu Dhabi TV and Arab Radio and Televsion (ART). __
