Al-Hilal, by contrast, have all kinds of issues. On Thursday the defending champions lost the King’s Cup final to Al-Feiha. Even worse was the fact that it came after a penalty shootout which followed two hours of tense and draining football. It remains to be seen if there is a psychological reaction to the defeat but there is sure to be a physical one. In the latter stages, stars such as Salem Al-Dawsari were suffering from cramp, a sight that must have given hope to Al-Ittihad fans.

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Coach Ramon Diaz has plenty of injuries, as well, to keep him busy. There are the long-term issues with Abdullelah Al-Malki and Saleh Al-Shehri. Peruvian winger Andre Carrillo has been out for a while and is still a doubt, as are Gustavo Cuellar and Yasser Al-Shahrani. Central defender Jang Hyun-soo hurt a toe in the final and missed training on Friday. The South Korean should be fit for the big game and the same goes for captain Salman Al-Faraj, who picked up a slight knock on Thursday.

But the physical side is only half the story. At this stage of the season, mental matters are crucial. While Al-Ittihad may have been able to get much more rest than their Riyadh rivals, it is hard to know how such relative inaction has affected a team that has been so close to a first title for 13 years. Being within touching distance of the trophy for so long but not having games to play must have been a frustrating experience.

They have had two and a half weeks to think about the 4-4 draw and reflect on what happened. A victory against Al-Fateh would have put the leaders eight points clear with four to play. It would surely have been all over, regardless of the Classico result.

And there is more. Al-Ittihad have lost just once in their last 17 league games. That was against Al-Hilal. To lose again would raise the prospect of the title being thrown away by a team that has been on top for around three-quarters of the season.

The chasing team, meanwhile, knows that only a win will do. The Asian champions have shown over the years that when it comes to the big games, they often to find a way. If Al-Hilal can avoid any ill effects from the King’s Cup final defeat, both mentally and physically, they have what it takes to defeat Al-Ittihad. Whatever happens, it really should be a game to remember.