It's early days in the Premier League and both Al Riffa and Malkiya are still hoping for a flying start in order to set the tone for the season. Three points can make a big difference at this stage.
Both teams should be fairly well rested for this game, as they have had some quiet days to prepare. Hopefully this will translate into lots of action on the pitch.
Malkiya have a very long trip to this away game, as there's more than 2500 kilometers in distance to cover. This could prove a challenge, at least for the supporters.
Al Riffa form and stats
OK but not perfect. That could be the conclusion for Al Riffa's two home games in the Premier League so far this season, having collected 4 points here at Madinat 'Isa Stadium.
Al Riffa's last game was hosting Al-Najma (placed 5th) and winning 1-0.
At Madinat 'Isa Stadium, Al Riffa has the goal stats of 2-1 (for/against) from 2 league fixtures.
Malkiya form and stats
The visitors' first away game in the Premier League ended in defeat. Last season Malkiya had these away match statistics: Played 9; won 2, drew 0 and lost 7. The pressure to perform on the road is increasing on A. Saleh Al Dakheel, the Malkiya manager, as the last three away games were defeats.
Malkiya lost away at Busaiteen (1-6) in their previous game and are perhaps starting to feel homesick. A draw for Malkiya before that, at their own venue hosting Al Ahli (1-1).
As you can see from the result above, the defeat against Busaiteen was particularly ugly (1-6). The humiliation is still top of mind.
It's early days yet, but Malkiya has scored 1 and conceded 6 goals from their travels in the league so far (1 game).
Head 2 Head
H2H stats regardless of arena (last ten matches): Al Riffa seven wins, one draw and Malkiya two victories. As for goals, three matches ended with three or more goals (over 2,5), seven games had two or less.Al Riffa missing players
Malkiya missing players
| Al Riffa | Malkiya | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | Played | P | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Won | W | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Drew | D | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Lost | L | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | Scored | S | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Conceded | C | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| 50% | 50% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 50% | 50% | 100% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 50% | 50% | 100% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 100% | 100% | 50% |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 100% | 100% | 50% |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 100% | 100% | 50% |
| 50% | 50% | 100% | BTTS | BTTS | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 50% | 50% | 0% | Clean Sheets | C S | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 50% | 50% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | 10 | 0 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 7 | 7 | 7.5 |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3 | 3 | 2.5 |
| 0% | 0% | 0% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 33% | 33% | 40% |
| Al Riffa | Last season | Malkiya | |||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 18 | 9 | Played | P | 9 | 18 | ||
| 12 | 8 | Won | W | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2 | 0 | Drew | D | 0 | 1 | ||
| 4 | 1 | Lost | L | 7 | 13 | ||
| 50 | 29 | Scored | S | 7 | 15 | ||
| 24 | 8 | Conceded | C | 22 | 34 | ||
| 94% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 94% | ||
| 94% | 100% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 89% | 83% | ||
| 89% | 100% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 67% | 56% | ||
| 78% | 78% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 22% | 17% | ||
| 33% | 22% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 11% | 6% | ||
| 78% | 78% | BTTS | BTTS | 44% | 39% | ||
| 22% | 22% | Clean Sheets | C S | 11% | 17% | ||
| 6% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 44% | 50% | ||
| 0 | 0 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1.8 | 1.6 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.7 | 1.7 | ||
| 3 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8.9 | 8.8 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 8.3 | 9.1 | ||
| 4.4 | 4.1 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 2.9 | 3.4 | ||
| 53% | 57% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 27% | 29% | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Busaiteen | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| 2 | Al-Hidd | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Al Riffa | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | East Riffa | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Al-Najma | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Muharraq | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Manama | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 8 | Budaiya | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 |
| 9 | Al Ahli | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 |
| 10 | Malkiya | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 1 |
| Last season | Total | Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Al-Hidd | 18 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 41 |
| 2 | Muharraq | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 32 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 40 |
| 3 | Al Riffa | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 50 | 24 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 16 | 26 | 38 |
| 4 | Al-Najma | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 27 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 31 |
| 5 | East Riffa | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 8 | -2 | 25 |
| 6 | Manama | 18 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 18 | 22 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 16 | -4 | 20 |
| 7 | Al Ahli | 18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 22 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 12 | -3 | 17 |
| 8 | Busaiteen | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 30 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 16 | -13 | 16 |
| 9 | Al Shabbab Manama | 18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 15 | 37 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 22 | -22 | 14 |
| 10 | Al Hala | 18 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 31 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 18 | -16 | 10 |
| Last season | Total | Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Al Riffa | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 35 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 7 | 22 | 37 |
| 2 | Manama | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 35 | 24 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 34 |
| 3 | Muharraq | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 15 | 31 |
| 4 | Al-Hidd | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 29 | 23 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 6 | 28 |
| 5 | Al Najma | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 27 | 23 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 4 | 28 |
| 6 | East Riffa | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 21 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 25 |
| 7 | Al Shabab | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 22 | 32 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 23 | -10 | 19 |
| 8 | Al Hala | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 18 | 29 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -11 | 19 |
| 9 | Budaiya | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 39 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 23 | -21 | 15 |
| 10 | Malkiya | 18 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 15 | 34 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 22 | -19 | 13 |