Al Raed vs Al Hilal

This King's Cup Round of 32 clash pits reigning champions Al Hilal against lower-tier Al Raed, who now play in the Saudi First Division after last season's relegation. For Al Hilal, it's about defending the trophy they lifted for a tenth time; for Al Raed, it's a rare shot at giant-killing. Al Hilal head into the match in strong shape, winning three of their last four games, including a 2-1 King's Cup win over Al Kholood and league wins over Neom and Al-Fayha. Malcom, Darwin Nunez and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou remain key figures for a squad that was unbeaten for 28 matches earlier this year. Al Raed have momentum too, thrashing Abha 5-1 domestically and drawing a friendly with MC Oran. History offers little hope for the underdogs: Al Hilal have won 19 of 22 previous meetings, drawing the rest, and have never lost to Al Raed. Our prediction: 3-0.