MW17: Battle of the bests; Al Fateh need Ronaldo reprieve; Mahrez the RSL king creator | OneFootball

The non-stop Roshn Saudi League action continues almost immediately, with Matchweek 17 kicking off on Saturday.

Here, we place the spotlight on some of the main storylines set to play out across the three days, as the second instalment of our inaugural Legends Week headlines the round.

League’s lead defence meets deadliest attack

It’s not only top against third when Al Hilal travel to Al Qadsiah to close out Matchweek 17 on Monday night.

The hosts in Dammam boast the 2024-25 RSL’s most miserly defence, with 11 goals conceded through 16 matches. Moreover, goalkeeper Koen Casteels leads the division in clean sheets, at 10. It helps, of course, when you have a Real Madrid great in Nacho marshalling the defence in front.

Yet Al Qadsiah’s bulwark backline will perhaps be in for their greatest test: Al Hilal are way out in front of everyone this season in goals scored; their 52 ranks 13 better than the next most prolific side, second-placed Al Ittihad.

Last time out, Al Hilal became the first team in history to reach a half century of goals through the opening 16 rounds – and all this without injured golden-boot contender Aleksandar Mitrovic.

In his absence, Marcos Leonardo has particularly shone; the summer signing has seven goals in his past four league outings, with six already in 2025 – three more than any other player in the league. So, who’s going to budge: third-placed Al Qadsiah’s defence or leaders Al Hilal’s champion attack?

Goodwin must inspire Al Wehda survival fight

Al Hilal’s last opponents, Al Wehda, are having a tough time of things at the moment.

Tuesday's 4-1 defeat to the champions represented their seventh defeat in nine RSL matches, even if the other two games produced wins. The undesirable run has left the Mecca club second from bottom, three points above Al Fateh and in need of some inspiration.

Step forward, then, Craig Goodwin. The Australian winger got a late consolation for Al Wehda against Al Hilal, when his in-swinging free-kick evaded everyone and nestled in the hosts’ net. Despite the loss, Goodwin was the shining light for Jose Daniel Carreno’s side – as he has been on numerous occasions this campaign.

With five goals, the Australia international is one shy of his best tally from the previous three RSL seasons. He will take some heart, too, from the fact that on Saturday Al Wehda host Al Ettifaq, the team against whom Goodwin has enjoyed the most success (three goals).

What’s more, manager Carreno has lost only once in seven RSL clashes with Al Ettifaq, and never at home. Steven Gerrard’s men, though, will surely be hurting from Monday’s home defeat to Al Ahli, meaning it won’t be easy maintaining that record.

Mahrez is Al Ahl’s magic man

Speaking of Al Ahli, they got straight back to winning ways in Matchweek 16 having seen their superb streak ended at five successive victories by Al Kholood the previous round.

As such, the Jeddah giants strengthened their fifth-placed position in the table and kept the pressure on Al Nassr in fourth (three points ahead) and Al Qadsiah in third (five better off). Surely, then, manager Matthias Jaissle is eyeing another long winning run.

For that, he will be looking to Riyad Mahrez to continue his incredible form: the former Manchester City winger has created more chances this season than any other player, at 74, including the most from set-pieces (32).

No doubt, the likes of Ivan Toney, Roberto Firmino and even defender Roger Ibanez will be intent on benefitting when Al Ahli host seventh-placed Al Riyadh in Jeddah on Sunday.

Mahrez, remember, led the way last season in RSL assists. With three this time around, he is quite far back from that mark (13), but he will for sure expect more from Toney and Co to turn his brilliant creative play into goals.

Al Fateh have to stop familiar foe Ronaldo

Understandably, Al Fateh come into Sunday’s home encounter with Al Nassr on a significant high.

Last Wednesday, they sealed a later-than-late victory against Damac to finally register a second league victory of the season. It had been 10 games, a drought reaching back to August. At the same time, the league’s bottom club breathed life back into their battle to avoid the drop.

The RSL can be cruel at times, though, and a visit of fourth-placed Al Nassr, headlined by football’s greatest-ever goalscorer, is not exactly what you’d wish for if trying to build momentum to wrestle free of relegation.

And that, in Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Fateh face not only the 2024-25 RSL’s leading scorer and last season’s golden boot winner, but a forward who has scored in every match he’s played against them. That haul reads five goals in three meetings.

Ronaldo’s clearly in form, since the double at Al Khaleej in Matchweek 16 carried him past 100 goal contributions – all competitions - since joining Al Nassr little more than two years ago. Thus, Al Fateh will be hoping for a Ronaldo reprieve. Given his start to 2025 – three games, three goals – the odds might be stacked against them.

Al Raed need to quickly turn around form

At present, Al Raed constitute the league’s most off-colour side, with five straight defeats dragging them dangerously close to the drop zone.

Monday’s 2-0 loss at home to Al Okhdood dropped Odair Hellmann’s team to 15th, one spot and one point above the relegation places. Al Fateh, at the foot, are only five points away.

Goals have been particularly hard to come by, with Al Raed scoring three amid their unwelcome run. Look back even further, and it’s seven defeats in eight and, if you were to take away the treble they netted in the win against Al Orobah in Matchweek 11, the Buraidah club have recorded a mere three goals in seven.

That profligacy is underlined by their shot accuracy of 32 percent - the lowest in the competition since the restart after the winter break. Hellmann will therefore be demanding more from his forwards when they take on Al Kholood away on Saturday.

Al Raed certainly have the firepower: Karim El Berkaoui has five goals this term, while Saudi Arabian striker Saleh Al Amri and Algeria creator Amir Sayoud both have three.