Al Hilal vs Damac Prediction: Blue Waves to cut gap on Saudi Pro League leaders Al Nassr

Al Nassr currently lead the Saudi Professional League by eight points, but second-placed Al Hilal, who have played a game fewer, can cut the gap to five with a win over relegation-threatened Damac on Tuesday (19:00 BST).

Below are my Al Hilal vs Damac predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this midweek meeting at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

Team News

Al Hilal haven't played since suffering a penalty shootout defeat against Qatari counterparts Al Sadd in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League on April 13.

Yassine 'Bono' Bounou, Theo Hernandez, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Karim Benzema all started that 3-3 draw in Riyah, and we can expect the star quintet to play from the beginning again on Tuesday, if all passed fit.

There's a question mark, though, over Benzema, who hit a hat-trick in his side's last league game, a 6-0 thrashing of Al Kholood on April 8, with the Frenchman suffering with an adductor problem.

Marcos Leonardo, who has scored in his last three appearances, the most recent two as a substitute, will likely replace Benzema at the point of attack.

Kalidou Koulibaly (thigh), Murad Al Hawsawi, Hamad Al Yami (both knee), Nasser Al Dawsari (toe), Saimon Bouabre (hamstring) and Yusuf Akcicek (unspecified) are all out injured for Simone Inzaghi's side.

Football Odds

Damac don't appear to have any injury worries, and head coach Fabio Carille could name an unchanged starting XI following last Thursday's 2-0 victory over Al Okhdood, a result that leaves his side three points clear of the relegation zone.

Argentine midfielder Valentina Vada supplied the opening goal for Arielson before doubling Damac's lead late on; the 30-year-old heads the goalscoring charts for the Knight of the South, with former Reading and Cardiff City winger Yakou Meite (four goals) a distant second.

Al Hilal vs Damac Odds

Al Hilal, who won January's reverse fixture 2-0 in Abha, are 1/7 favourites, implying an 87.5% probability of success, while Damac are 12/1, or a 7.7% chance, to claim a first victory over the Blue Waves since February 2021.

The draw is offered at 13/2, while Neves To Score Anytime has been boosted to 5/2 (was 9/4).

Price Boosts - Ruben Neves (HIL) To Score Anytime @ 11/5 5/2

Al Hilal midfielder Neves has scored nine league goals this season, more than double the number he managed across his first two campaigns combined (three in 2023/24, one in 2024/25).

The 29-year-old was last on target in a 1-1 draw at Al Taawon on February 24, scoring from the penalty spot.

Today's Football Fixtures

Benzema took Al Hilal's last spot-kick, missing in that 6-0 beating of Al Kholood earlier this month, but with the former Ballon d'Or winner likely to be absent on Tuesday, Neves is back in the running to resume duties from 12 yards, and he's warmed up for his moment with a successful conversion in his side's shootout defeat to Al Sadd.

The Portugal international is, of course, a threat from outside the penalty area, too, having established a reputation for spectacular long-range strikes with his previous club, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

First Goalscorer - Marcos Leonardo (HIL) @ 5/2

Like Neves, Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo can benefit from Benezema's expected absence at Kingdom Arena.

The 22-year-old scored 29 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions in his debut campaign with the Blue Waves, and his second season hasn't been any less impressive, with 18 strikes in 32 games heading into Tuesday's contest, despite largely playing second fiddle to Benzema and, at times, Darwin Nunez, who has been banished from the first team since mid-February.

Marcos Leonardo is in stellar scoring form, netting in his last three matches, despite being a late substitute in the last two, and he's found the net in his last two league starts, in a 5-3 win at Al Shabab on February 27 and a 2-2 draw at home to Al Taawon on April 4.

Given his scoring rate, the former Santos and Benfica man looks a good bet to open the scoring against Damac, an opponent whose defence he has breached in the last two head-to-heads, striking first in a 2-2 draw last season.

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