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In an enticing battle between two Middle East rivals, Oman host Saudi Arabia at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat on Tuesday in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying action.
Both sides are coming off the back of significant victories in their most recent games.
Al-Ahmar downed Japan 1-0 away in arguably the biggest shock of the round. Issam Al-Sabhi netted the winner just two minutes from extra time to secure all three points.
The Falcons, on the other hand, beat Vietnam 3-1 in a convincing performance.
They're now unbeaten in nine qualifying games since round two, winning each of their last six.
Oman vs Saudi Arabia Head-To-Head
There have been 20 previous clashes between the sides, with Saudi Arabia coming out on top on 12 occasions.
Oman have beaten their neighbors only five times, the last of which came in a Gulf Cup clash in 2017.
Oman Form Guide (all competitions): W-L-W-W-W
Saudi Arabia Form Guide (all competitions): W-W-W-W-W
Oman vs Saudi Arabia Team News
Oman
Al-Ahmar's huge victory in Japan may convince head coach Branko Ivankovic to field the same XI. But some improvements can be made.
Faiz Al-Rushaidi deserves credit for keeping a clean sheet, although 136-cap veteran Ali Al-Habsi may come into the side on Tuesday.
Abdul Aziz Al-Muqbali, who's scored 36 times for the side, was an unused substitute on Thursday. He may also start next week.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Unavailable: None
Saudi Arabia
The Falcons produced a strong performance against Vietnam last week and might field the same lineup again.
Abdullah Al-Hamdan is another good option in the attack. But given Salem Al-Shehri's incredible record in front of goal, the 21-year-old may have to contend with a place on the bench for now.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Unavailable: None
Oman vs Saudi Arabia Predicted XI
Oman (4-4-2): Ali Al-Habsi; Amjad Al-Harthi, Ahmed Al-Khamisi, Juma Al-Habsi, Ali Al-Busaidi; Zahir Al-Aghbari, Harib Al-Saadi, Salaah Al-Yahyaei, Abdullah Fawaz; Khalid Al-Hajri, Arshad Al-Alawi.
Saudi Arabia (4-2-3-1): Mohammed Al-Owais; Sultan Al-Graham, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Abdullah Madu, Yasser Al-Shahrani; Abdullah Otayf, Abdulellah Al-Maliki; Fahad Al-Muwallad, Salman Al-Faraj, Salem Al-Dawsari; Saleh Al-Shehri.
Oman vs Saudi Arabia Prediction
Oman will be confident of their chances after pulling off a big upset in the last game, despite a poor record against Saudi Arabia.
The Falcons are still in fine form, however, and it would take a monumental effort to stop Saudi Arabia.
It may be a tight game, but we expect a victory for the away side.
Prediction: Oman 1-2 Saudi Arabia
