Juan Antonio Pizzi said Saudi Arabia "are ready" to take on Germany tonight and has challenged his Green Falcons side to raise their game against the world champions.
Saudi Arabia conclude their comprehensive warm-up program — this will be their ninth match of the year — with a tough-looking assignment against Joachim Louw's in Leverkusen. The last time the two nations met, at the World Cup in 2002, Germany ran out 8-0 winners. A drubbing is the last thing the Green Falcons need with less than a week until the tournament starts, but Germany are not firing on all cylinders. They have not won any of their last five matches and have lost the last two, against Brazil and, more surprisingly, against Austria. But Pizzi still feels the Germans are a major force to be reckoned with.
"For us, it’s an honor to play against Germany, one of the best national team in the world," Pizzi said in a video published on the Saudi Arabian Football Federation's Twitter page. "It is highly expected to win the World Cup. We conclude the preparations with this friendly game. We are ready, and we are well prepared for this game. We will have a good game hopefully and we have the honor to play with this team."
The football federation have not been afraid to pitch the Green Falcons against high-calibre opposition. This will be their third straight game against a side ranked in the world's top 20, following on from games against Italy and Peru.
"The game against Germany is very important because the German national team has excellent players on the individual and collective levels," said Pizzi. "They have a coach who has been with the team for a long time and has many achievements. Hopefully, we will be up to the level."
The game could divide the loyalties of Oliver Kahn. The German won 86 caps for his country and went to four World Cups, but he is now employed on a consultancy basis in the Kingdom.
"Oliver Kahn is working with the Saudi Football Federation," said Pizzi. "He is preparing the goalkeepers of the Saudi Pro League. We respect him and thank him for all his help."
Saudi Arabia relishing friendly game against ‘World Cup favorites’ Germany
Saudi Arabia relishing friendly game against ‘World Cup favorites’ Germany
- Green Falcons play in Leverkusen tonight
- Coach Pizzi says Germany are 'one of the best national team in the world'
Arsenal thrash Villa 4-1 while Chelsea and Man Utd both held
- Arsenal end Aston Villa’s 11-game winning streak
- Wolves earn third point of season against Man United
LONDON: Arsenal closed out 2025 in emphatic fashion, smashing third-placed Aston Villa 4-1 on Tuesday to surge five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers, who collected their third point of the season, while Bournemouth grabbed a point at stuttering Chelsea, forcing a 2-2 draw after a frantic first-half display.
Man United are sixth, level on 30 points with fifth-placed Chelsea.
At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal slammed the door shut on charging Villa, ending their club-record winning run of 11 games.
Goals by Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Zubimendi early in the second half gave Arsenal control of a game that had looked fraught with danger.
Gabriel bundled in the opener from a corner in the 48th minute before Martin Odegaard slid a pass through for Zubimendi to score four minutes later. Arsenal secured the points when Leandro Trossard fired home from the edge of the area before Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to add the fourth.
Ollie Watkins grabbed a consolation goal for Villa in stoppage time.
“I think it was amazing,” Jesus told Sky Sports. “It’s always hard to play against them... The mentality of the team is really, really growing and each game is growing even more and I think we are winning today because of the mentality.”
Arsenal top the standings with 45 points, while second-placed Manchester City can close the gap when they play at Sunderland on Thursday.
Villa are six points adrift of Arsenal.
It took six minutes at Stamford Bridge for Bournemouth to shock Chelsea when David Brooks grabbed the opener. Cole Palmer equalized from the spot in the 15th minute and Fernandez put Chelsea ahead with a bullet shot eight minutes later.
Justin Kluivert brought Bournemouth back level in the 27th, to grab a point, adding to the London side’s unenviable record of one win in seven league games. Chelsea sit fifth, while Bournemouth are 10 spots below them.
Man Utd struggle
Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee made the most of a rare start by giving the depleted hosts the lead with a deflected shot from the edge of the box in the 27th minute.
But Wolves managed to level just before the break thanks to a header from Ladislav Krejci.
Patrick Dorgu briefly celebrated what he thought was a 90th-minute winner, but it was chalked off for offside.
“We struggled in all the game,” United boss Ruben Amorim said. “We had a lack of creation... the fluidity offensively wasn’t there.
“We didn’t play well. When you don’t play well with the ball, you struggle without it.”
Wolves have three points from 19 games, 15 points from the safety zone.
Newcastle United’s Joelinton scored after 65 seconds and Yoane Wissa doubled their lead five minutes later in a 3-1 thrashing of 19th-placed Burnley, who are winless in their last 10 games.
Josh Laurent pulled one back in the 23rd minute, but Bruno Guimaraes sealed Newcastle’s rare away win with a goal in stoppage time.
Everton climbed to eighth in the standings with a 2-0 win over their former manager Sean Dyche and Nottingham Forest thanks to goals from James Garner and Thierno Barry.
West Ham United drew 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion in a game that featured three penalties in the first half.
Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta, from the penalty spot, scored before the break for West Ham, while Brighton’s Danny Welbeck struck from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute but fired another off the crossbar.
Joel Veltman scored for Brighton in the 61st minute to secure the draw.
There are four more games on New Year’s Day, including fourth-placed Liverpool hosting Leeds United at Anfield.
