MW20 Talking Points: RSL lead cut to one, Al Ettifaq flying, Lacazette & more! | OneFootball

For 24 hours at least, the Roshn Saudi League had a change at the top of the table.

And while, ultimately, Al Hilal retained their spot at the summit at the end of Matchweek 20, their lead has dwindled and the title race is very much back on.

As the action continues at a rapid pace, we take a look at the main narratives to emerge from another defining round of RSL action.

--------

Riyadh stalemate opens title race

After winning a remarkable 13 league games in a row and building a seven-point lead at the summit, Al Hilal looked almost invincible. But, for the first time in almost three years, they’ve gone three games without a win. With it, they’ve allowed the chasing pack to close in.

Al Nassr even took top spot for 24 hours - they saw off Al Riyadh thanks to Sadio Mane’s sumptuous volley - before Al Hilal’s scoreless draw with Al Ahli.

Cagier than their "crazy, wild" 3-3 cracker earlier in the season, it reflected the finely balanced title race where both teams knew winning was important, but not losing was priority No.1. Just ask returning Al Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

With six points dropped by Al Hilal in the past three games, and with victories for Al Nassr and Al Qadsiah, it means the top four are now separated by only four points. Thrilling.

Transfer Window movers/shakers

One of the most decisive moves of the season came not on the pitch in Matchweek 20, but off it. Karim Benzema’s move from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal is seismic for a lot of reasons.

Not only does it add even more to the rivalry between two of Saudi Arabia’s biggest clubs, who meet in a little more than two weeks, but it could reshape the second half of the RSL campaign. For, Al Hilal get the prolific striker they’ve lacked since the departure of super Serb Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Al Ittihad also said farewell to N’Golo Kante in something of a changing of the guard in Jeddah. And, while the defending champions appear to be out of this year’s title race, with games to come against all the top four, they have still a massive role to play in this season’s championship challenge.

It’s too early to know, but the final 24 hours of the 2025-26 winter transfer window might prove decisive by the time the medals are handed out later this year.

Have Al Shabab turned corner?

It was only a few weeks ago that the situation at Al Shabab looked rather dire. They were winless in the league in eight matches, which included a run of five consecutive losses that had them mired in the relegation zone.

However, following their latest success - a narrow 1-0 victory at home to Al Fayha - Imanol Alguacil's side have put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season. What’s more, it’s a string of four games without defeat, seeing Al Shabab climb into 13th and seven points clear of the bottom three.

Their mini-resurgence has been on the back of their stars stepping up. Yannick Carrasco has led by example. Josh Brownhill has scored in successive outings. RSL veteran Carlos Junior banged in a hat-trick at Al Hazem.

Another win against Al Kholood later this week would have Al Shabab knocking on the door of the top half of the table - an unthinkable scenario a few short weeks ago.

--------

Al Ettifaq’s win against Al Taawoun was significant for a number of reasons.

Not only does it continue the Wolves barren run of form - once third, they have registered a solitary victory in four - but it continued Al Ettifaq’s resurgence. Saad Al Shehri’s side have lost only two of 10 since the league resumed at the end of December.

Having downed Al Taawoun, the question is whether they can keep that momentum going to close the gap with the team from Buraidah, which currently stands at six points?

While there is no silverware on offer for being “best of the rest” outside of the league’s perceived “big five”, it would undoubtedly come with a level of pride. Further, it would offer the Dammam club, who possess one of Saudi Arabia's top managers, something tangible to build on going into next season.

--------

It’s been a horror run for NEOM Sports Club in recent weeks, although the Matchweek 19 triumph at Damac eased some of the pressure on Christophe Galtier’s men.

However, then staring down the barrel of a loss to relegation-threatened Al Okhdood, trailing 0-1 with time fast running out, NEOM SC found a way to salvage a point. It came courtesy of a late penalty converted by star striker Alexandre Lacazette.

It marked back-to-back goals for the Frenchman for the first time since October and provided a stern response to Galtier’s recent criticism of his experienced stars.

Can that be the impetus the former Arsenal and Olympique Lyon star needs to go on a run of form to help drag NEOM SC out of their mid-season slump?