MW33 Talking Points: Title tension, Quinones history, Mendy on top | OneFootball

If you wanted to write a script for some end-of-season drama, you probably couldn’t pen a better one than what's transpired in the 2025-26 Roshn Saudi League.

The events of the past few days have only amplified that.

With still so much to play for in the title race, the race for continental positions, individual honours and relegation, the action across the weekend provided all the drama you could possibly ask for.

So, without further ado, here are this week’s talking points.

Al Hilal keep pressure on

After the drama of last week’s Capital Derby, Al Hilal moved even higher up on Al Nassr’s coattails with a no-fuss 2-0 win at home to NEOM Sports Club to keep them well within touching distance heading into the final day.

It sets up a thrilling conclusion to the title race with Al Hilal, who are aiming for a remarkable unbeaten league campaign, now only two points behind their city rivals.

On Thursday, the league leaders host Damac in a match that will attract eyeballs from millions around the globe, while Al Hilal travel to face Al Fayha hoping their pressure will cause another slip from Jorge Jesus’ side, who are also reeling from losing the AFC Champions League Two Final to Gamba Osaka.

Get the popcorn ready.

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Al Ittihad slip may prove costly

After appearing to hit a run of form at the right time, with three wins and a draw from their previous four in the RSL, Al Ittihad looked like they had done almost enough to secure a top-five finish ahead of Al Taawoun. And, with it, take the final AFC Champions League Elite spot.

That was, however, until Sergio Conceicao’s side slumped to a 3-2 defeat at Al Shabab that has thrown everything wide open again. Now, with one game to play, Al Ittihad have no margin for error given six-placed Al Taawoun sit only two points back.

And the final match is by no means an easy one for Al Ittihad, who host four-placed Al Qadsiah needing a point to guarantee fifth. Fail to do so and Al Taawoun, who travel to Al Hazem, could jump over them at the very last moment.

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Quinones not giving up ghost

A slice of RSL history was created this round after Julian Quinones opened the scoring in Al Qadsiah’s 2-0 triumph against Al Hazem.

That goal took the Mexican to the magical 30-goal barrier meaning, for the first time ever, two players have scored 30-plus goals in a single campaign in the Saudi Pro League era.

Previously, only two of our stars had managed the magical feat - Abderrazak Hamdallah and Cristiano Ronaldo - but, with Ivan Toney already having done so a week earlier, this season is now one for the record books.

With Toney two goals ahead on 32, it’s not outside the realms of possibility for Quinones to usurp the Al Ahli frontman in the battle for the golden boot - although he does require a standout performance against Al Ittihad.

Toney, meanwhile, will go into the game at Al Khaleej with one eye on equalling Ronaldo’s record of 35 RSL in a single campaign.

Damac take giant leap to safety

Anything you can do, we can do better. That was the message from Damac to Al Riyadh after the capital city outfit registered a precious 1-0 victory against Al Fateh in Matchweek 32 to draw level with Damac in the race to avoid relegation.

It teed up a two-match showdown between the two combatants and, with their final fixture to come at table-toppers Al Nassr, Damac knew they needed something against Al Fayha to keep survival firmly in their own hands.

An emphatic 3-0 win was thus just what the doctor ordered since it gives the 15th-placed outfit a two-point buffer heading into the final matchweek. That therefore means anything less than three points for Al Riyadh at home to already-relegated Al Okhdood will consign Mauricio Dulac’s men to the drop.

Can anyone stop Mendy?

Al Ahli could yet finish the season with the league’s top striker and goalkeeper if they manage to keep a clean sheet against Al Khaleej.

Edouard Mendy currently leads the 2025-26 RSL for clean sheets with 14 thanks to Al Ahli's 3-0 win at home to Al Kholood, taking him one ahead of both Al Nassr’s Bento and Al Hilal’s Yassine Bono (that battle adds another element to the title fight).

At worst, Mendy will have a share of the Golden Glove award and make it the second time in three seasons that the Senegalese international has lifted the honour.

With potentially the two biggest individual prizes in the bag, Al Ahli will perhaps look back with a tinge of regret that they weren’t in the title fight until the final day. Having secured third place, Matthias Jaissle’s back-to-back Asian champions boast as many wins as Al Hilal and fewer defeats than Al Nassr.

It simply shows how fine the margins have become when fighting for RSL silverware.