Qassim Derby: Clubs with contrasting fortunes face off | OneFootball

Derby Week might’ve been earlier in the month, but the cross-city fun hardly ever ceases in the Roshn Saudi League, with the Qassim Derby taking centre stage on Thursday.

While it may be as instantly identifiable outside the Kingdom as some of the league’s blockbuster derbies are, it’s certainly of no less importance to supporters of Al Taawoun and Al Raed, for whom local bragging rights mean everything.

That honour currently falls to Al Taawoun, courtesy of their 1-0 victory away earlier in the season and, while their respective positions in the 2024-25 RSL standings would suggest they should make it two from two this week, these battles are rarely that straightforward.

It’s an old cliche, but when derbies come around, form cannot be deemed conclusive.

The latest installment of the Qassim Derby comes at a particularly defining moment for Al Raed, who languish bottom of the league, ??? points from safety with only five matchweeks remaining after this one.

To place their plight into perspective, Al Raed are looking to avoid relegation for the first time in the RSL era. So, given their predicament and the need for multiple victories, who better to begin that quest than against your nearest rivals?

Until their most recent outing, things were looking particularly dire for Al Raed. However, a confidence-boosting 4-0 win against fellow relegation battlers Al Orobah has provided hope of a great escape.

The most notable change at Al Raed since the November Qassim Derby comes in the dugout, with Odair Hellman moved on and replaced by former Damac and Al Tai manager, Kresimir Rezic, earlier this month.

Rezic is intimately familiar with the RSL having previously guided Damac to a fifth-placed finish as recently as the 2021-22 season. Therefore, he knows what it takes to succeed at this level.

Yet, as remarkable as that achievement was, steering Al Raed clear of relegation might represent his greatest success to date.

Al Taawoun, meanwhile, are licking their wounds after an agonising defeat last week in the semi-final of the AFC Champions League Two.

Until that point, Mohammed Al Abdali’s team had been on something of a fairytale run. In the new second-tier continental competition, they had excelled by winning five of six Group B matches to advance as winners of the pool.

Knockout-stage victories over Qatar’s Al Wakrah and Iran’s Tractor, both after dramatic penalty shootouts, soon followed, creating instantly iconic moments for the club. In doing so, it up a semi-final against UAE club Sharjah.

Leading 1-0 from the first leg, Al Taawoun travelled to the Emirates looking for a place in their first continental final; then, with scores locked at 0-0 heading into stoppage-time, the RSL outfit were minutes away from an historic achievement.

But, ultimately, it all came unstuck: Al Taawoun conceded twice in quick succession to bow out in heartbreaking fashion.

Given the emotional toll that must have taken, it was perhaps no surprise to see them lose 2-0 last week to struggling Al Wehda - a result, incidentally, that did little to help Al Raed’s prospects of survival.

What Al Taawoun can’t do, though, is let that turn into a rut. For that, there’s nothing like a Qassim Derby to snap you back into action.

Like Al Raed, they’ve also had a managerial change since their first meeting this campaign, with Rodolfo Arruabarrena departing in January and being replaced by Saudi tactician Al Abdali.

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And, while Al Taawoun were able to ride the wave of momentum in the ACL Champions League Two, they’ve had a tougher time domestically, with five wins, five losses and five draws in Al Abdali’s 15 RSL matches in charge.

They’re numbers that should give Al Raed reason for optimism. Although, if they are to pile more misery onto Al Taawoun, they need to overcome history to do it.

In 12 Qassim Derbies in the league since 2019, Al Raed have one once, a 5-3 classic back in 2021. Indeed, it makes for bleak reading for the red-and-black section of the Qassim Region.

But derby droughts are there to be broken - just ask Al Nassr earlier this month - and this weekend all eyes will be training on Buraidah, fascinated to see if Al Raed can have their own moment against fierce foes Al Taawoun.