Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr will be eager to close the gap on leaders Al-Hilal when they host 13th-placed Al-Khaleej at the Al-Awwal Park Stadium in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.
Matchweek 12 sees Al-Khaleej travel to one of the most difficult grounds in the Saudi Pro League to face runners-up Al-Nassr.
Al-Nassr scraped through the Round of 16 of the King’s Cup on Tuesday as they picked up a 1-0 extra-time victory over Al-Ettifaq when the sides squared off at the Al-Awwal Park Stadium.
The match was more than keenly contested, with both sides having players sent off. Irrespective of the poor officiating, six-time winners Al-Nassr advanced to the quarter-finals, where they will face Al-Shabab in an all-Riyadh clash.
That result means Al-Nassr are now unbeaten in their last 15 matches across all competitions (W14 D1) since starting their campaign with back-to-back league defeats to Al-Ettifaq and Al-Taawon back in August.
With 25 points from 11 matches, the hosts are up to second place in the Pro League standings, closing the gap on leaders Al-Hilal, who remain unbeaten this season. Luis Castro’s side go into Matchweek 12 seeking a third win in a row with the added boost of returning to their home comforts of Al-Awwal Park.
Al-Khaleej, meanwhile, scraped through the Round of 16 of the King’s Cup on Monday when they came out on top against Damac on penalties at the Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium after Nicolae Stanciu cancelled Jung Woo-young’s 27th-minute opener.
Attention will now turn to their Pro League campaign, where Pedro Emanuel’s side have largely flattered to deceive this term. The visitors are winless in their last four league games and have managed just two wins in 11 games so far this season. Al-Danah are currently 13th in the standings with only 10 points under their account, three clear of the drop zone.
Team News & Tactics
Al-Nassr
Working for Saturday 🔜 pic.twitter.com/yPqj1OqWOm
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) November 2, 2023
Luis Castro’s side are still without first-choice goalkeeper David Ospina, who continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an elbow injury at the start of the season, which should see Nawaf Alaqidi continue between the sticks in this match. The Saudi Arabian international shot-stopper will have Abdulelah Al-Amri and Aymeric Laporte protecting him from any kind of danger.
Sultan Al-Ghannam was shown a straight red card against Abha last month and will remain sidelined for the next two matches, meaning Nawaf Boushal will likely continue at right-back in his absence, with Alex Telles manning the other flank.
Seko Fofana’s availability means he will partner Abdullah Al-Khaibari in the midfield. Otavio has been a revelation for Al-Nassr since arriving from FC Porto, and the playmaker will be fielded just behind the main strikers, Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In a big blow to the hosts’ attack, Brazilian forward Anderson Talisca, who has scored eleven goals in his last nine appearances, finding the back of the net in each of his last six outings prior to Tuesday, will be suspended here after picking up a straight red in midweek. In his place, Abdulrahman Ghareeb could be handed the chance to impress on the right wing.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Al-Najjar; Boushal, Alamri, Laporte, Telles; Fofana, Al-Khaibari; Ghareeb, Otavio, Mane; Ronaldo
Al-Khaleej
Al Khaleej will take to the pitch without midfielder Mansour Hamzi, who will not feature in Saturday’s clash due to suspension after receiving his marching orders against Damac on Monday. Omar Al-Oudah (ankle) and Ibrahim Sehic (unknown) are two other major doubts, with the latter not expected back until after the November international break.
Otherwise, manager Pedro Emanuel has a fully-fit squad at his disposal and could name a similar starting XI to the one that started on Monday, with Mohammed Al-Khabrani and Lisandro Lopez forming the centre-back pairing in front of goalkeeper Marwan Al-Haidari.
Pedro Rebocho and Saeed Al Hamsal will be the two full-backs, who will have to gear up for a stern challenge against much superior counterparts in this Al-Nassr attack.
Since netting in four matches on the bounce between late August and mid-September, attacking midfielder Fabio Martins has failed to score in any of the subsequent five games but remains one to look out for, with Mohamed Sherif, Khaled Narey, and Abdulelah Saeed all retaining their roles in the final third.
Ivo Rodrigues has been an ever-present for the away side this term, and the Portuguese forward is expected to retain his place in the engine room here alongside Jung Woo-young.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Al-Haidari; Rebocho, Lopez, Al-Khabrani, Hamsal; Jung, Rodrigues; Narey, Abdulelah, Martins; Sherif
Key Stats
- Al-Nassr have an excellent recent record against them, with seven wins in the last ten meetings between the two clubs (D1 L2).
- Al-Nassr have now won four games on the bounce across all competitions, including a 4-3 victory over Al-Duhail in the AFC Champions League, where they currently boast an unblemished record of three wins from three.
- The Knights of Najd boast the best attack in the Saudi top flight, having scored a league-high 31 goals.
- Al-Khaleej have lost only one of their last three Saudi Pro League games away from home (W2 D1).
Player to Watch
Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane, who moved to Saudi Arabia following a disappointing year at Bayern Munich, hit the ground running in Al-Nassr colours by scoring six times in his first six league appearances. The Senegalese international suffered a rut after that, firing a blank in six of his next seven competitive games.
However, he struck in extra time in the midweek to give Al-Nassr a 1-0 victory over Al-Ettifaq to send his team into the last eight of the King’s Cup, a clutch goal that will boost his confidence as he looks to rediscover his cutting-edge in front of goal.
Prediction
Al-Nassr 3-0 Al-Khaleej
This one should be another straightforward Al-Nassr victory, especially with their home advantage. The Saihat outfit will be hoping that Monday’s result can serve as a springboard as they look to find their feet in the Saudi Pro League after an inconsistent start to the season. But Al-Nassr will have too much for their visitors, who look incapable of being able to contain the threat of their hosts.