Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Preview, Prediction, and Betting Tips – Saudi Super Cup 2024
- Venue: Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium
- Schedule: Monday, 8th April at 7:30 PM (GMT)
Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Match Preview
When European football is bracing for the impact of the first bunch of UEFA Champions League high-voltage quarter-final matches, the night before the whole soccer world is set to witness a war of the titans as Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr are scheduled to lock horns in the second semi-final of the 2024 Saudi Super Cup. The second Riyadh derby of this year is slated to take place on April 9, Monday at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium. Scroll down below to learn about the preview, prediction, and betting tips for the high-octane clash in Riyadh.
Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, two prominent rivals of the game in Asia, will be up against each other in a knock-out game; the stakes couldn’t be much higher than this. The two Asian outfits, less than 6 miles apart in the city of Riyadh, are part of one of the fiercest rivalries in the region. A team in a dream run recently, Al-Nassr, will play against Damac in a Saudi League match midweek just before the Al-Hilal game, and it will be a perfect opportunity for them to test their attacking firepower and defensive strength before facing the Blue wave.
With their talismanic figure Cristiano Ronaldo on a roll in front of the goal, the Riyadh outfit would hope for nothing less than a flying victory in the Super Cup. The Portuguese international has netted two back-to-back hat-tricks, and his boss at Al-Nassr Luis Castro will try to exploit his form to get positive results against their old foes in the semi-final. Currently sitting at the second spot in the Saudi League with 62 points, Al Nassr would hope to make the most of this opportunity to edge Al-Hilal, with the sights of the League trophy already fading away.
On the flip side, Al-Hilal will be heading into this game after taking on Al-Khaleej in their 27th match of the Saudi League. After missing out on the Super Cup last term, the Riyadh-based club will now aim to claim the title, given their current fine run of form. Jorge Jesus’s side is the only team that is yet to lose a single match in the Saudi top flight. They are the table toppers in Saudi, having registered 24 wins and 2 draws out of 26 games so far, scoring a whopping 79 goals in the process.
Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Team News
Al-Hilal
The current league leaders of the Saudi League will continue to miss the service of Neymar, who continues to remain sidelined due to a severe injury blow last year. The newest injury scare for the Blue Wave is that Mitrovic will be sidelined for at least six weeks, courtesy of a hamstring injury. As things stand, Milinkovic-Savic and Malcom are expected to deliver big against a star-studded Al-Nassr, while Ruben Neves will accompany them to trouble the defensive line of the opposition in providing forward passes for Al Dawsari and Michael. It’s fair to say that Jorge Jesus will go with his preferred 4-2-3-1 shape in the Saudi Super Cup semifinal, with Bono as the first-choice goalkeeper.
Al Nassr
After decimating Al-Tai FC (5-1) and Abha (8-0) in their last two games before playing against Damac in the country’s top league, there should be no doubt that Castro is not going to make any change in the forward line. His main man Ronaldo is breathing fire at the moment as the Portuguese captain claimed his 65th hat-trick in major tournaments recently.
According to multiple reports from the Middle East, CR7 might be given some rest in the Damac clash as Al-Nassr wants him to stay fit before taking on arch-rivals Al-Hilal in an all-important Riyadh derby at the weekend. With Anderson Talisca remaining as a long-term absentee, Sadio Mane and Ghareeb would pair with Ronaldo up front.
The former Inter Milan star Marcelo Brozovic might return to the starting line-up after missing the game against Abha through suspension. However, due to injury concerns, Global One will miss the presence of some players – Abdulelah Al Amri, Abdullah Alkhaibari, and Waleed Abdullah as they are still recovering from injuries, and a few days from returning to the squad.
Also Read: Damac vs Al Nassr Preview, Prediction, and Betting Tips
Predicted Line-up
Al-Hilal: Bono; Koulibaly, Abdul Hamid, Al Bulaihi, Lodi, Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves, Malcolm, Michael, Al Dawsari, Al Shehri
Al-Nassr: Ospina; Al-Fatil, Boushal, Laporte, Telles, Brozovic, Otavio, Mane, Ghareeb, Al Najei, Ronaldo
Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Head-to-head Stats
The two Premier teams of Riyadh, who are parts of the Saudi Pro League (SPL) traditional “big four” (along with Al Ahli and Al-Ittihad), have faced each other 32 times in the RSL era. Al-Hilal won 17 times, while Al-Nassr emerged victorious 9 times.
Last 5 H2H Results:
- Al Hilal 2-0 Al Nassr (2024, Club Friendlies)
- Al-Hilal 3-0 Al-Nassr (2023, Saudi Pro League)
- Al-Hilal 1-2 Al-Nassr (2023, Arab Club Champions Cup)
- Al-Hilal 2-0 Al-Nassr (2023, Saudi Pro League)
- Al-Hilal 2-2 Al-Nassr (2022, Saudi Pro League)
Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Super Cup Match Prediction
There is a long-standing rivalry between these two Saudi outfits. The table toppers of the RSL this season, Al-Hilal have extended their unbeaten run to 31 games so far and will aim to maintain this fine run of form in the Super Cup too. In the last few seasons, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal have battled fiercely for the nation’s top flight with each other piping themselves to the elite silverware multiple times.
With Al-Nassr also in red-hot form, a goal-galore is expected to be on the cards. In the last two Riyadh derby, Al-Hilal got the better of Ronaldo’s side with comfortable margins. However, a high-octane clash like this can not be predicted accurately as any one of the players from both teams has the necessary skills and ability to turn the tide of the game in their respective team’s favor in the blink of an eye.
However, given the current scenario and form of Al-Nassr players, especially CR7, who is considered the “messiah of big games”, they might emerge victorious this time around, taking revenge for their last two defeats to the Blue Wave.
Predicted Score: Al-Hilal 2-3 Al Nassr
Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Odds & Betting Tips (Subject to Change)
Betting Tips
Al-Nassr to beat Al-Hilal
Both teams to score
Goals over 2.5 – yes
Odds
Al-Hilal: 3.90
Draw: 0.92
Al-Nassr: 4.10
Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Saudi Super Cup Match Schedule & Telecast Details
India: No official broadcasters
UK: Bet365
USA: FOX Sports 2
Also Read: Al Khaleej vs Al Hilal Preview, Prediction and Betting Tips