Perfect Al Hilal start strengthens Fahad Al-Herifi’s early title forecast

Fahad Al-Herifi has reiterated his belief that Al Hilal will win the Roshn Saudi League this season, despite Al Nassr’s 2-1 defeat by Al-Ittihad after only five rounds of the competition.

The former Al Nassr midfielder first backed Al Hilal to lift the title before the campaign began and said the result of Saturday’s classic between the two sides had not altered his view.

Speaking on the television programme Dorina Ghair, Al-Herifi said he remained certain in his prediction and had no intention of changing it.

“I said it at the end of last season, and at the beginning of this season I settled it by saying that Al Hilal would be champions of the league this year. Those who know me understand that I do not change my statements. Of course, we are still at the beginning of the competition, but things appear clear,” he said.

Al-Herifi stressed that his assessment was not based solely on Al Nassr’s loss to Al-Ittihad. Instead, he pointed to what he viewed as fluctuations in Al Nassr’s form towards the end of last season, which allowed Al Hilal to return to the title race.

Al Nassr had made a perfect start to the new campaign, winning their opening four matches. However, their first defeat came against Al-Ittihad in Saturday’s encounter, leaving them with 12 points and in second place.

The result also provided Al Hilal with an opportunity to establish an early advantage at the top of the table. Al Hilal have won all five of their matches and lead the standings with 15 points, three ahead of Al Nassr.

Their latest run has been built on a series of convincing attacking displays. Al Hilal defeated Al Ahli 3-0 in the fourth round before producing another impressive performance to beat Al Khaleej 5-1. They then maintained their flawless record with a 2-0 victory over Al Shabab in the fifth round.

Al-Ittihad moved up to fourth place with 11 points after the win over Al Nassr. They remain unbeaten in the competition, although Saturday’s victory was not enough to prevent Al Hilal from extending their lead at the summit.

The defeat was Al Nassr’s first of the season and came in a fixture that attracted widespread reaction. Al-Herifi’s renewed prediction added to the discussion, with the former club star appearing in a video clip in which he repeated his confidence that Al Hilal would finish as champions.

Only five rounds have been played, but Al-Herifi believes the early standings and Al Hilal’s performances already point towards the eventual outcome of the title race.