Oman vs Saudi Arabia Predictions
Oman and Saudi Arabia meet in their second Gulf Cup Group A fixture in Jeddah on Saturday.
The Gulf Cup hosts began their campaign with a narrow win against Kuwait, while Oman laboured to a draw against Iraq.
Given Saudi Arabia’s strong recent H2H record and home advantage, another low-scoring victory for the hosts seems likely.
I have my stake on Saudi Arabia to win with fewer than four goals scored.
Low-Scoring Saudi Win Likely
- Oman have seen under 3.5 goals in 17 of their last 18 matches
- Oman have seen under 3.5 goals in 11 of their last 12 matches against Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia won 5 of their last 7 matches against Oman
- Saudi Arabia have seen under 3.5 goals in 7 of their last 8 matches
Saudi Arabia Lead Recent H2H Record
Oman and Saudi Arabia have met on ten occasions since 2011. Saudi Arabia won five of those games, including a 2-1 win at the Arab Cup last December.
Oman secured two victories, including both of their last two encounters at the Gulf Cup.
Oman Hold Iraq to Draw
Oman return to Jeddah after kicking off their Gulf Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Iraq on Wednesday.
Mohammed Qasim put Iraq ahead before Nasser Al-Rawahi secured a point for Oman.
Tarik Sektioui’s side were fortunate to escape with a draw after struggling to create clear-cut opportunities at Prince Faisal Stadium.
Oman registered only two attempts, including Al-Rawahi’s second-half equaliser. Iraq managed 13 shots and finished with a higher xG total (1.08-0.33).
A lack of consistency has proved a major issue for the Reds over the past year. Sektioui’s men won three and lost four of their last 12 international fixtures.
Oman also suffered a first-round exit after being drawn alongside Saudi Arabia at last year’s Arab Cup. The Saudis claimed a 2-1 victory in their Group B encounter ten months ago.
Saudi Arabia Look to Build on Opening Win
Saudi Arabia face their second fixture in Group A after edging to a 1-0 victory over Kuwait in their Gulf Cup opener on Wednesday.
The Green Falcons largely dominated the contest but needed a 73rd-minute own goal from Yousef Al-Haqan to secure a hard-fought win.
Saudi dominance was underlined in the final match stats. The hosts had 63% of the ball, while registering more shots (19-5) and a higher xG total of 1.55 to 0.35.
Georgios Donis’s out-of-form side lacked fluidity but ultimately got the job done against opponents ranked more than 70 places below them in the FIFA rankings.
Before Wednesday’s success, Donis’s men had failed to win eight of nine previous fixtures.
A lack of quality in the forward areas continues to hinder Saudi progress. The Gulf Cup hosts scored just two goals in their last six competitive fixtures.
Recent results against Oman should boost Saudi confidence this week. The Green Falcons won five of seven games played since 2019. Four of those five wins finished with under 3.5 goals scored.
Oman vs Saudi Arabia Squads & Team News
Oman Squad
Goalkeepers: Ahmed Al-Rawahi, Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini, Ibrahim Al-Rajhi
Defenders: Khalid Al-Braiki, Ahmed Al-Kaabi, Amjad Al-Harthi, Ghanim Al-Habashi, Khalid Al-Ghatrifi, Musab Al-Shaqsy, Yousuf Al-Malki, Turki Beit Rabie
Midfielders: Harib Al-Saadi, Arshad Al-Alawi, Abdullah Fawaz, Sultan Al-Marzouq, Hussein Al-Shahri, Ahed Al-Mashaiki, Abdul Hafez Al-Mukhaini, Al-Harith Al-Mukhaini
Forwards: Jameel Al-Yahmadi, Zahir Al-Aghbari, Issam Al-Subhi, Waleed Al-Muslimi, Nasser Al-Rawahi, Abdulsalam Al-Shukaili, Abdul Majeed Al-Balushi
Oman boss Sektioui could make some changes to his first XI on Saturday.
Musab Al-Shaqsy, Waleed Al-Muslimi and Ahed Al-Mashaiki are among those who could earn recalls to the starting XI.
The Reds have no reported injury or suspension issues.
Saudi Arabia Squad
Goalkeepers: Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Mohammed Al-Owais, Ahmed Al-Kassar
Defenders: Abdulelah Al-Amri, Nawaf Boushal, Hassan Tambakti, Ali Lajami, Moteb Al-Harbi, Ali Majrashi, Hassan Kadesh, Jehad Thakri
Midfielders: Saud Abdulhamid, Salem Al-Dawsari, Mohamed Kanno, Ayman Yahya, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Ziyad Aljohani, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, Mukhtar Ali, Alaa Al-Hejji
Forwards: Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Firas Al-Buraikan, Sultan Mandash, Saleh Al-Shehri, Khalid Al-Ghannam
Saudi manager Donis will be forced into at least one change to his first XI on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi sustained a serious injury against Kuwait and will be replaced by Mohammed Al-Owais.
Musab Al-Juwayr is also unavailable after he was removed from the Gulf Cup squad for disciplinary reasons.
Donis was pleased to secure all three points against Kuwait, but expressed frustration with his side’s lack of cutting edge in the final third:
"It is not acceptable to have the ball close to the opponent's penalty area so many times without having real chances on goal, and without scoring goals.
"I am happy to get the three points, but we still suffer from the same problem since the World Cup. We have the ball, we control the match, and we get the ball close to the opponent's penalty area.
"But the final pass, and the final decision, is not the best, so we have to make better decisions, and score goals."