Ahead of Friday’s deadline, our weekly Scout Squad piece tries to identify who will be the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) Fantasy’s best Round 2 players.
Looking at these fixtures in isolation, our team of Louis, Amer and Marc are discussing the best picks.
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SCOUT SQUAD: BEST SAUDI LEAGUE PLAYERS FOR ROUND 2
Focusing only on the upcoming Round, the Scout Squad doesn’t require any medium-term planning.
| LOUIS | AMER | MARC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Nawaf Al Aqidi | Anthony Moris | Edouard Mendy |
| Yassine Bono | Samuel Portugal | Samuel Portugal | |
| Milan Borjan | Milan Borjan | Milan Borjan | |
| DEF | Wesley Hoedt | Wesley Hoedt | Wesley Hoedt |
| Joao Cancelo | Joao Cancelo | Joao Cancelo | |
| Theo Hernandez | Pedro Rebocho | Roger Ibanez | |
| Mohamed Simakan | Nawaf Boushal | Nawaf Boushal | |
| Mario Mitaj | Andrei Girotto | Mario Mitaj | |
| MID | Joao Felix | Joao Felix | Joao Felix |
| Kingsley Coman | Kingsley Coman | Malcom | |
| Salem Al Dawsari | Toze | Salem Al Dawsari | |
| Yannick Carrasco | Konstantinos Fortounis | Konstantinos Fortounis | |
| Steven Bergwijn | Steven Bergwijn | Steven Bergwijn | |
| FOR | Cristiano Ronaldo | Cristiano Ronaldo | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Abderrazzaq Hamdallah | Abderrazzaq Hamdallah | Abderrazzaq Hamdallah | |
| Karim Benzema | Ivan Toney | Ivan Toney | |
| Mateo Retegui | Joshua King | Mateo Retegui | |
| Alexandre Lacazette | Alexandre Lacazette | Alexandre Lacazette |
- THREE PICKS: Cristiano Ronaldo, Abderrazzaq Hamdallah, Alexandre Lacazette, Steven Bergwijn, Joao Felix, Joao Cancelo, Wesley Hoedt, Milan Borjan
- TWO PICKS: Mateo Retegui, Ivan Toney, Salem Al Dawsari, Kingsley Coman, Konstantinos Fortounis, Samuel Portugal, Nawaf Boushal, Mario Mitaj
LOUIS SAID…
This week’s fixtures are slightly awkward, with poor sides facing each other and tough sides doing the same.
Al Nassr play at home, so I think Nawel Al-Aqidi could keep a clean sheet. Similar can be expected about fellow goalkeepers Yassine Bono and Milan Borjan.
Meanwhile, I’m backing Al Shabab to bounce back from their 4-1 home defeat, helped by Wesley Hoedt, with Mohamed Simakan the standout route into Al Nassr’s backline. I also think Mario Mitaj has multiple routes to points.
In midfield, Hoedt’s penalty-taking teammate Yannick Carrasco has a lot of Fantasy potential. Salem Al Dawsari continued his excellent output from last season by registering two assists and I believe Al Ittihad’s Steven Bergwijn will make a mark, despite Al Fateh being tricky opponents. The former Tottenham Hotspur attacker scored and assisted in Round 1.
Regardless of fixture, Cristiano Ronaldo is a fantastic option. I also think Alexandre Lacazette can haul versus Damac. Over at Al Qadsiah, we’ve just seen Mateo Retegui deliver eight attacking returns in his latest three matches for club and country.
Admittedly, my Karim Benzema pick is risky, as he might not be cleared to play after injury.
AMER SAID…
Between the sticks, Anthony Moris faces Al Fayha, where the last three meetings have ended in clean sheets for Al Khaleej. Milan Borjan goes against newly promoted Al Najmah and Samuel Portugal was the goalkeeper with the most Round 1 saves. The latter’s opponents, Al Taawoun, didn’t look particularly sharp in attack.
In defence, Nawaf Boushal won six tackles against Al Taawoun, assisted and kept a clean sheet, adding up to an impressive 13 points.
Matching this tally was Joao Cancelo. The full-back is known for his attacking potential, but registered 12 defensive actions and collected two bonus points, making him one of the standout picks at the back.
Al Khaleej’s Pedro Rebocho racked up a dozen actions, too, but Andrei Girotto surpassed both with 14 of them. I back him to successfully prevent Al Okhdood from scoring.
Midfielder Konstantinos Fortounis had three shots on target, helped by taking set-pieces and penalties. He created a big chance in Round 1, as Steven Bergwijn set up two alongside putting three shots on target.
Another beneficiary of dead-ball situations, Toze visits Al Najmah on the back of two shots and one big chance created versus Al Hilal.
Over at Al Nassr, Kingsley Coman was rewarded for a goal, four shots on target and 42 accurate passes, showcasing himself as a very strong Fantasy option.
Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo accumulated the most Round 1 attempts. On penalties, he has a tempting home fixture against Al Kholood.
Someone who massively impressed last time was ex-Bournemouth and Blackburn Rovers veteran Joshua King. Two goals and an assist put him on a whopping 21 points, the second-best for a forward.
Finally, Ivan Toney. He plays for one of the league’s strongest teams and next gets to meet Al Ettifaq. It’s not the easiest matchup, but Al-Ahli are proven goal scorers in big games.
MARC SAID…
I’m pretty pleased with 99 opening weekend points. It would’ve exceeded 100, had captaincy gone on one of my three players who bettered Cristiano Ronaldo’s double-digit haul.
Owning his teammate Joao Felix was a satisfying decision. Familiar to fans of many big clubs, the 25-year-old scored a hat-trick and was responsible for five shots on target. Next up is a home clash against Al Kholood.
Elsewhere, I’m remaining loyal to Mateo Retegui (16 points) and Joao Cancelo (13). The Italian international is in excellent form and he put seven shots on target, although lost a couple of points for missing multiple big chances. Full-back Cancelo has multiple routes to points.
I was fairly disappointed to see Abderrazzaq Hamdallah blank, though. Not that his 150 goals from seven full Saudi Pro League campaigns should be forgotten: he gets the nod at home to Al Hazem.
Defender Wesley Hoedt brings some attacking threat, while Al Hilal’s Malcom was able to score, create two big chances and put three of his own efforts on target.
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