Saudi First Division League standings: Abha in first place, Al-Diriyah in second
The Saudi First Division Professional League is witnessing intense competition and fierce rivalry as the season draws to a close, with clubs vying for comfortable mid-table positions and fiercely competing for promotion to the top flight. This edition of the league is particularly significant due to the closely matched skill levels of the teams, making every point crucial in the journey towards returning to or achieving promotion to the Professional League for the first time.
Results of round 13 and changes in the standings
The thirteenth round of matches, which concluded on Friday, lived up to its promise for sports fans, featuring thrilling encounters that reshaped the title race. Abha FC reaffirmed its dominance at the top of the table, maintaining its lead after a well-deserved 3-1 victory over Al-Ta'ee. This valuable win boosted Abha's points tally to 30, preserving a comfortable three-point advantage over its closest rivals. This reflects the team's technical and administrative stability and its strong desire to quickly return to the top tier.
The struggle for second place and top positions
Meanwhile, the race for second place saw dramatic changes, with Al-Diriyah capitalizing on their rivals' stumbles to cleverly snatch the runner-up spot after a thrilling 3-2 victory over Al-Raed. Al-Diriyah's rise was directly linked to Al-Ula's draw with Al-Jabalain (2-2). This result saw Al-Ula drop to fourth place with 26 points, while Al-Diriyah and Al-Orouba are tied for second and third place with 27 points each, with Al-Diriyah holding the advantage on goal difference.
Attacking statistics and the top scorers' race
On both individual and team levels, the race for the top scorer title intensifies with each passing round, adding extra excitement to the matches. Abha's striker, Silla Sow, sits atop the scoring charts with 14 goals, followed closely by Al-Orouba's Nwanko Simon with 12. Gaetan Laborde (Al-Diriyah) and Iftimis Koulouris (Al-Ula) are tied with 11 goals each. Offensively, Abha has proven to be the most potent attacking force, netting 30 goals, just one ahead of Al-Ula, while Al-Diriyah's attack comes in third with 26 goals.
Al-Faisaly's paradox and the race for promotion
One of the most striking paradoxes of the league this season is the situation of Al-Faisaly, the only team yet to suffer a loss, as they have recorded eight draws compared to only four wins. These statistics underscore the difficulty of predicting which teams will be promoted, as the promotion race requires stamina and the ability to secure victories. Abha has demonstrated this so far, achieving the highest number of wins (9), followed by Al-Diriyah, Al-Orouba, and Al-Bukairiyah with eight wins each.
