Al-Nassr will travel to lowly Abha on Tuesday with all three points on their mind.
In a clash of fortunes set to unfold on Tuesday, Abha are gearing up to host Al-Nassr at the electrifying Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium.
Abha, battling to escape the clutches of relegation, hopes to electrify their home crowd with a triumphant third consecutive win. Meanwhile, Al-Nassr enter the fray with the aim to narrow the gap to league leaders Al-Hilal, fueling their aspirations of clinching the title.
Abha’s recent skirmish saw them locked in a 1-1 draw against Al-Riyadh, where Guinea’s standout, Francois Kamano, showcased his prowess by opening the scoring before Saleh Al Abbas equalized.
Their journey has not been easy, with only two victories in their last 14 matches across various competitions. Nonetheless, their recent home victories against Al-Tai and Al-Wehda hint at their latent potential.
On the flip side, Al-Nassr arrive in formidable form, riding a wave of nine unbeaten encounters out of their last ten. Their latest conquest was a resounding 5-1 victory over Al-Tai, fueled by Cristiano Ronaldo’s stunning second-half hat-trick.
Before that spectacle, Al-Nassr broke free from a chain of three successive defeats with a crucial 1-0 triumph over Al-Ahli, with Ronaldo sealing the deal with a second-half penalty. Sitting second on the league table with an impressive tally of 59 points from 25 games, Luis Castro’s squad is determined to close the 11-point gap behind Al-Hilal.
Following Tuesday’s showdown, Al-Nassr will face Damac before locking horns with Al-Hilal in a sensational Super Cup semi-final at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium. The game of Tuesday should serve as a testing ground for Al Nassr to try out their tactics. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up for the game and their tactics.
Team News & Tactics
Abha
Fahad Al-Jumayah sustained a second-half injury during the recent match against Al-Wehda, casting doubt on his availability for Tuesday’s game against his former side. If he fails to recover in time, veteran star Saleh Al Qumayzi could be brought into the playing XI.
Abha are likely to use a 4-4-2 formation, with former AC Milan man Ciprian Tataruşanu in goal. He should be protected by the backline of Saleh Al Qumayzi, Fabian Noguera, Marcel Tisserand and Ibrahim Al-Zubaidi.
Ziyad Al-Sahafi and Mohammed Saad Al Qahtani should start in central midfield, flanked by the duo of Francois Kamano who scored last time around and Al-Riyadh and Meshal Al-Mutairi. Hassan Al-Ali and Grzegorz Krychowiak should lead the line with the latter dropping deeper when needed.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Tatarusanu; Al-Qumayzi, Noguera, Tisserand, Al-Zubaidi; Mutairi, Al-Sahafi, Al-Qahtani, Kamano; Al-Ali, Krychowiak
Al-Nassr
The visitors trail Saudi Pro League leaders Al Hilal by 12 points with nine games to go. Given their superiority over Abha on paper, they will aim to keep up the pressure at the summit, irrespective of the rather significant chasm.
Luis Castro will be unable to call upon Brazilian forward Anderson Talisca, who has been sidelined since coming off with a muscle injury in February, while goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah is also unavailable.
Al-Nassr are likely to retain their 4-2-3-1 formation, with David Ospina in goal. The veteran goalkeeper will be protected by the backline of Ayman Yahya, Ali Lajami, Mohammed Al-Fatil and Alex Telles.
The duo of Otavio and Marcelo Brozovic will hold down the fort in central midfield, giving the trio of Sadio Mane, Sami Al-Najei and Abdulrahman Ghareeb the freedom to push forward. Cristiano Ronaldo will be the automatic choice to lead the attack on the night.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ospina; Yahya, Lajami, Al-Fatil, Telles; Otavio, Brozovic; Mane, Al-Najei, Ghareeb; Ronaldo
Key Stats
- Al-Nassr have found the back of the net 71 times in the Pro League this season, the second best record in the league behind leaders Al-Hilal.
- Abha have conceded 60 goals in the league this season, a tally that is better than only bottom placed Al-Hazm.
- Both teams have faced off 10 times so far, with Abha winning just once. Al-Nassr have won seven times while one game has ended in a draw.
- Abha have never kept a clean sheet against Al-Nassr.
Player to Watch
Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese icon is the driving force behind Al-Nassr’s success and is their unquestionable goalscorer on the field. Ronaldo scored a hat-trick last time out against Al-Tai and is in fine form going into the game.
He now has 26 goals and nine assists in 23 Pro League matches this season and at 39, is showing no signs of slowing down. It will come as a surprise should Ronaldo fail to find the back of the net on the night.
Prediction
Abha 0-3 Al-Nassr
Abha are not just in poor form but lack the same quality that Al-Nassr can bring to the field. Cristiano Ronaldo has a stellar supporting cast behind him and the visitors should breeze home to a comfortable victory on the night.