Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr will take on Al-Akhdoud at Al-Awwal Park on Friday, pitting two sides at opposite ends of the Saudi Pro League table against one another.
Second-placed Al-Nassr will resume their Saudi Pro League campaign with a home encounter against relegation-zoned Al-Akhdoud.
The Knights of Najd are currently basking in the glory of an exceptional 18-game unbeaten run, showcasing outstanding form and accumulating an impressive tally of over 51 goals during this stretch. The Global One have lost only two games in the Saudi Pro League, and both defeats came at the start of the season.
Luis Castro’s side have since strung together an 11-game unbeaten league run, including ten victories. They secured a comfortable 3-1 win over Al-Wehda in their most recent outing before the international break, a result that stretched their winning run to four successive victories.
The hosts will now return from the international break on Friday with the aim of narrowing the gap in their pursuit of the summit spot in the Saudi Pro League, as they find themselves trailing four points behind Al-Hilal at the top of the table after 13 rounds.
Al-Nassr next face an Al-Akhdoud side who are embroiled in a scramble at the other end of the division, with the visitors still finding themselves in the bottom three with 10 points, one point behind the safe zone.
However, Al-Akhdoud did mark a return to winning ways before the break under the new management of Martin Sevela following Jorge Mendonca’s exit, as they took a three-point haul in a 2-1 win against fellow strugglers Al-Hazm. It was their third win of the season, and they can back themselves to avoid relegation in 2023/2024. But they face an uphill task to take anything out of this one.
Team News & Tactics
Al-Nassr
2 days left ⚽️⏳ pic.twitter.com/1Afu2BD9ED
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) November 22, 2023
On the injury front, Al-Nassr remain without veteran goalkeeper David Ospina, who continues his long journey to full fitness after picking up an injury back in January. Starting centre-back Aymeric Laporte (physical discomfort) may remain in the treatment room after missing international duty with Spain and their final game prior to the international break through injury.
So, Abdulelah Al-Amri and Mohammed Al-Fatil should again partner up in front of goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi. Luis Castro will stick with his tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 shape and could keep personnel changes to a minimum, with Seko Fofana lining up alongside Marcelo Brozovic in the engine room from the outset.
Ronaldo will join the squad after helping Portugal to a successful Euro 2024 qualification. He will lead the attack for the hosts, with the support from key summer arrivals Otavio and Sadio Mane. Anderson Talisca, who boasts 17 goals in 14 appearances in all competitions this term, will continue playing the goalscoring role in their attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Al-Aqidi; Al-Ghannam, Al-Amri, Al-Fatil, Telles; Fofana, Brozovic; Talisca, Otavio, Mane; Ronaldo
Al-Akhdoud
Newly-appointed Al-Akhdoud boss Martin Sevela would have loved to deploy an unchanged starting XI for Friday’s clash following their impressive win last time out in his first game in charge. But he could be forced into at least one change as Al-Nassr loanee Hamed Al-Mansour will serve a suspension after picking up a red card in the Al-Hazm match and would be ineligible to play against his parent club anyway.
In Al-Mansour’s absence, Paulo Ricardo will likely slot into the left wing-back role from the get-go, while Saeed Al-Rubaie, Solomon Kvirkvelia, and Andrei Burca should again form the three-man central defensive unit.
In attack, veteran striker Leandre Tawamba will spearhead the attack with newfound confidence, having bagged a brace in the 2-1 success over Al-Hazm to take his season tally to three league goals for the club this term. Nigerian forward Saviour Godwin and Real Alex Collado will look to put their pace and creativity to good use from the wings.
Probable Lineup (5-4-1): Vitor; Al Zabdani, Al-Rubaie, Kvirkvelia, Burca, Ricardo; Collado, Pedroza, Tanase, Godwin; Tawamba
Key Stats
- Al-Nassr have conceded eight goals in six home games.
- Al-Akhdoud have scored in three of their last four games.
- Luis Castro’s side are currently riding on a 11-game unbeaten streak in the Saudi top-flight (W10 D1).
- Al-Akhdoud have won only one of their last five league games (4L).
Player to Watch
Cristiano Ronaldo
Despite his advancing years, Cristiano Ronaldo’s hunger for goals has not waned a bit as he continues to show why he is renowned as the greatest striker of the 21st century.
The 38-year-old has notched up 16 goals in all competitions so far this season, including 13 alongside seven assists in just 12 Saudi Pro League appearances. He returns after a strong international break, with a goal and an assist in two games for Portugal. So, he is the standout contender to get on the scoresheet in this game.
Prediction
Al-Nassr 2-0 Al-Akhdoud
The Knights of Najd are in exceptional form and should be able to overcome struggling Al-Akhdoud relatively comfortably on Friday. While Al-Akhdoud will be buoyed by their morale-booster victory prior to the break, a trip to Al-Awwal Park is entirely a different assignment. The visitors are currently struggling and may find it difficult to withstand Al-Nassr’s potent offensive capabilities.
