The Final Stretch: The Battle for Top Four | OneFootball

With eight rounds remaining in the 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League, the race for the top four is heating up.

Those spots, of course, provide places in the prestigious AFC Champions League Elite, where the winners of that continental qualification qualify for the rebranded FIFA Club World Cup.

With that in mind, there is plenty at stake and lots of incentive to ensure you finish in that lead quartet in the RSL - especially after what played out during Derby Week last week.

If we take Al Ittihad and Al Hilal, the current top two in the standings, as seemingly assured of securing top-four places, it looks like a battle for the remaining two berths between Al Nassr, Al Qadsiah, Al Ahli and Al Shabab.

Here’s how each team is placed heading into the run-in - and, crucially, what lies ahead.

3rd: Al Nassr - 54 points (+28 goal difference)

After a shaky start to the season, last year’s runners-up responded well to the arrival of Stefano Pioli as manager and then began 2025 with a run of six straight wins to put them back into title contention.

Perhaps, though, they’ll be left to rue dropped points against Al Ettifaq and Al Orobah, but Al Nassr did rebound brilliantly with a 3-1 victory in last Friday’s Capital Derby at Al Hilal to strengthen their position in the top four. And, whisper it, reignite their title bid.

KEY PLAYERS

Cristiano Ronaldo

Being the league’s leading scorer this season speaks for itself; proof that, despite celebrating his 40th birthday in February, Ronaldo has lost none of his intensity or desire - or quality.

The Portuguese superstar is Al Nassr's standout, and while the acquisition of Jhon Duran has released some of the goalscoring burden, you sense it’s a responsibility upon which Ronaldo thrives. A brace at Al Hilal took him to 21 RSL goals this season – and three clear at the top of the 2024-25 scoring charts.

Jhon Duran

Their headline arrival in the January window, the Colombian international has made an instant impact since signing from England’s Aston Villa, with five goals in six RSL matches. It’s that sort of return Al Nassr need if they are to maintain a faint title charge and keep their spot in the top three.

KEY MATCHES

Al Qadsiah (April 18)

With these two sides separated by one spot and two points, getting the opportunity to take a win off the other will be crucial in deciding the final finishing order. Al Qadsiah got the job done earlier in the season, so Al Nassr will surely be intent on avenging that when it matters most.

Al Ittihad (May 2)

Any match in which you’re playing against teams also in the top four presents a huge opportunity, and this will be no exception. With Al Ittihad clear at the summit at present, this could not only be a chance to impact the title race, but also gain a valuable three points in the top-four fight.

BIG QUESTION

Can Al Nassr take points off those around them? Within a month of the resumption of the league, they play Al Hilal, Al Qadsiah and Al Ittihad. On Friday, they recorded a first win in four matches this season against that trio.

If Pioli's side are to consider the campaign a success, they need to show they can mix it with the best on a consistent basis.

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4th: Al Qadsiah - 52 points (+16 GD)

While expectations were heightened after their transformative off-season, few could’ve predicted that Al Qadsiah would be where they are in their first season back in the RSL in four years.

However, two wins in their past six, including the Eastern Derby draw on Saturday, has curtailed ambitions of achieving something truly remarkable this season, in the form of pinching the title at the first time of asking.

KEY PLAYERS

Julian Quinones

The Mexican international arrived last summer from Mexico’s biggest club, Club America, and has been a revelation.

With 15 goals and four assists, Quinones has proven himself to be one of the most dangerous forwards in the RSL, and his partnership with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ranks as one of the top flight’s most dangerous.

Koen Casteels

Key to Al Qadsiah’s success has been their defence; they have conceded the fewest goals in the league, at 22. A large reason for that is their Belgian shot-stopper, who leads this season with 13 clean sheets and the fourth-highest save percentage (75.8 percent).

KEY MATCHES

Al Nassr (April 18)

With such fine margins between the two sides, this match could prove pivotal in deciding the outcome of the top four. At home in Al Khobar, the red-and-yellow faithful will be out in force to spur their team to a big victory. In the corresponding fixture, in Riyadh in November, Al Qadsiah emerged 2-1 victors.

Al Hilal (May 27)

Their final game of the campaign comes against Al Hilal, in a match that could have massive implications for both teams. The last time the two met, in Matchweek 17 in January, it was Al Qadsiah who won in stoppage-time. Can they complete the double against the defending champions?

BIG QUESTION

Goals win matches, and despite the form of Aubameyang and Quinones, with 26 goals between them, Al Qadsiah have struggled for goals outside of that duo. In fact, they’ve scored the fewest of any side by far in the top six (38), and while their defence remains resolute, they need to find other avenues to goal.

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5th: Al Ahli - 49 points (+23 GD)

It’s been an indifferent season for Al Ahli after the success of finishing third last term. Following a slow start, they turned things around to at one point become the league’s most in-form team but unexpectedly dropped points against Al Khaleej and Al Okhdood to cool their title charge.

On Saturday, a 94th-minute goal from Karim Benzema deprived them of memorable win in the Sea Derby with Jeddah rivals Al Ittihad.

KEY PLAYERS

Riyad Mahrez

It almost flies under the radar how good the Algerian international has been since touching down in Jeddah. He led the way for assists in last season’s RSL (13) and, while he doesn’t feature as highly on that metric this campaign (six, to rank joint eighth), he still tops the league for chances created (77).

Ivan Toney

Their big off-season signing, the Englishman took a while to get going but hit a real purple patch through February that elevated him to among the league’s most formidable frontmen.

Scoring in seven straight RSL appearances, Toney found the net in that period than 13 times. While he leads the league in xG, however, he also is ranked joint-first for big chances missed (24).

KEY MATCHES

Al Shabab (May 9)

This one is a little bit personal for Al Ahli since one of their favourite sons, Omar Al Somah, battles with Abderrazak Hamdallah for the title of the RSL’s all-time leading scorer.

While Al Somah has moved on, latterly to Al Orobah, his former employers will understand a win here will significantly boost their top-four bid – and, in the process, dent Al Shabab’s.

Al Ettifaq (May 21)

Despite dropping points recently, Saad Al Shehri’s side are vastly improved and could present as a banana skin for Matthias Jaissle’s men. This would be a game - at home - Al Ahli are be expected to win, though, and as the penultimate game of the season, it should have massive implications.

BIG QUESTION

Will the Asian Champions League Elite prove too much of a distraction? Granted, Al Nassr contest the quarter-finals later this month, too, but already they boost a six-point cushion over their Jeddah counterparts.

Al Ahli, however, are the only one of the three RSL sides left in the continental competition who remain unbeaten.

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6th: Al Shabab - 46 points (+19 GD)

After a difficult season last time out, Al Shabab have improved greatly, especially considering the early upheaval of losing manager Vitor Pereira to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

Former Turkiye national-team coach Fatih Terim has been handed the reins and, despite some initial inconsistency, there are signs that his side are starting to click.

KEY PLAYERS

Abderrazak Hamdallah

The goalscoring consistency of the Moroccan is remarkable, with this his sixth straight season in double figures. And, with eight games remaining and Hamdallah currently at 18 goals, it’s on track to be his most productive since he scored 29 for Al Nassr in 2019-20.

Cristian Guanca

Putting a slow start to the season firmly behind him, the Argentine burst into life in February and March. In the eight games from the 5-1 rout of Al Khaleej, Guanca has scored five and provided nine assists - form that saw him named RSL Player of the Month for February.

KEY MATCHES

Al Hilal (April 23)

Any time these two sides meet there is always going to be fireworks. It’s been more than two years since Al Shabab last triumphed in the RSL against their Riyadh rivals - this would therefore be the perfect time to do so. And perhaps stunting the champions' title defence would appeal, too.

Al Ahli (May 9)

If Al Shabab are to stand any chance of breaking into the top four, they need to take points from those around them. Their previous meeting this season was a 3-2 thriller in favour of Al Ahli, so Al Shabab will be doubly determined to atone for that.

BIG QUESTION

Have they left their run too late? Already six points behind fourth, and with Al Ahli and Al Qadsiah in their way, Al Shabab need everything to go right from here. While they’re now undefeated in six in the RSL, before that they had a run of seven games in which they went win-loss to drop valuable points.