Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah, of Al-Ittihad Jeddah, is seeking to maintain his stellar form against local rivals Al-Ahli Jeddah when the two teams clash in the Saudi Professional League derby on Monday.
Al-Ittihad will face a stern test as they visit Al-Ahli at the Jewel Stadium in a showdown for the third-place spot in the league table.
Al-Ahli currently sits third in the Saudi league standings with 48 points, just two points ahead of Al-Ittihad.
Hamdallah enters the derby in fine form, having scored consistently in recent matches, propelling him to the second position on the list of all-time top scorers in the Saudi Professional League since the 2008-2009 season, with 128 goals, including 18 this season.
The Moroccan forward has a history of shining against Al-Ahli across various competitions and clubs.
Hamdallah has played 11 matches against Al-Ahli in all competitions, contributing to 10 goals, scoring 7 himself, and providing 3 assists.
In his encounters against Al-Ahli, the 33-year-old striker has seen victories with the clubs he represented on 5 occasions, while experiencing defeat 4 times and drawing twice.
These matches against Al-Ahli span across the Saudi Professional League, AFC Champions League, and King’s Cup, with Hamdallah notably netting a hat-trick in the league encounter during the 2021-2022 season.
Notably, Hamdallah’s prowess isn’t limited to Saudi clubs; he also found success against Al-Ahli while playing for Qatari side Al-Jazira.
He scored a goal for Al-Jazira against Al-Ahli in the group stage of the AFC Champions League during the 2015-2016 season, although his team suffered a 4-1 defeat on that occasion.