Al Nassr vs Al-Ahli Prediction, Preview, Lineups and Team News | Saudi Pro League, September 13, 2024

Preview

• Tournament: Saudi Pro League
• Date: Friday, September 13
• Kick-off Time: 6: 00 pm GMT
• Venue: Al Awal Park, Riyadh

The Saudi Pro League will return this weekend after a tiring and enduring international break. The biggest fixture to look out for this matchday will be Al Nassr vs Al Ahli on Friday. The two sides are separated by just a single point on the table with the hosts sitting on the fifth spot while Al-Ahli occupying the eighth place.

Al Nassr has four points from its opening two games. The club’s recent form including the pre-season friendlies has been inconsistent. In its last six games, the club has managed two victories, two draws, and two defeats. Luis Castro and his men began the season with a 4-1 thrashing by Al Hilal in the Super Cup which was followed by a frustrating 1-1 with Al-Raed. Al Nassr was finally able to get its first official victory of the campaign with a convincing 4-1 win over Al-Fayha. Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates will look to build on those three points in an attempt to stretch a winning run.

Al-Ahli, too, suffered at the hands of Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup in August, losing on penalties in the semi-final. The team quickly bounced back from the disappointment thanks to a 2-0 victory in the opening game of the league campaign. However, that was followed by a 1-0 loss to Al Fateh FC on matchday two. Al-Ahli will need to leave these hurdles behind in order to mount a serious challenge for the league title.

Al Nassr Team News

Luis Castro will have a big dilemma on his mind when it comes to team selection for Friday’s encounter. Al Nassr will be appearing in an AFC Champions League game just three days later. The Portuguese coach will have to factor in his team’s sharpness and fatigue levels after the international break. Nonetheless, he will go with his 4-2-3-1 line-up to have a perfect balance of attacking threat and defensive stability.

Al Ahli Team News

Al Ahli also has a big AFC Champions League outing on Monday against Persepolis. The congested schedule might lead to some of the starting players holding the bench against Al-Nassr. Manager, Matthias Jaissle likes to set his team in a classic 4-2-3-1 setup with the majority of the attacking threat coming from Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Veiga on the flanks. Ivan Toney is in line to make his debut in the Middle East.

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Predicted Lineups

Al Nassr Predicted Lineup

Bento; Ghanam, Lajami, Laporte, Najdi; Otavio, Brozovic, Talisca; Mane, Ghareeb, Ronaldo

Al Ahli Predicted Lineup

Mendy; Majrashi, Demiral, Ibanez, Alhurayji; Aljohani, Kessie, Firmino; Mahrez, Veiga, Toney

Al Nassr vs Al Ahli H2H Record

Al Nassr has been the dominant side in recent meetings between the two clubs. Al-Ahli’s last victory over Al Nassr came all the way back in December 2020. Since then, Friday’s hosts have accumulated four victories and one draw in the head-to-head encounters between the two sides.

Result	Date and Competition
Al Ahli 0-1 Al Nassr	2024, Saudi Pro League
Al Nassr 4-3 Al Ahli	2023, Saudi Pro League
Al Nassr 1-1 Al Ahli	2022, Saudi Pro League
Al Ahli 1-2 Al Nassr	2021, Saudi Pro League
Al Ahli 1-2 Al Nassr	2021, Saudi Pro League

Key Players to Watch in Al Nassr vs Al Ahli

Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)

It is an extremely bold call to look beyond Cristiano Ronaldo as the key player in any football fixture. Ronaldo has begun the 2024/25 season tremendously with four goals and two assists already in four appearances for Al Nassr. The international break was also productive for the legend as he scored his 900ᵗʰ and 901ˢᵗ career goals. The 39-year-old has a fruitful record against Al-Ahli with three goals in two games and that makes him the ultimate player to look out for on Friday.

Sadio Mane (Al Nassr)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s deadly instincts in front of goal will require the likes of Sadio Mane to be a constant outlet from the wings. Mane is expected to be deployed as a right-winger, looking to supply crosses into the box. The former Liverpool man enjoyed a good international break, scoring a goal against Burkina Faso. The 32-year-old, who was on the verge of leaving Al Nassr this summer, has two assists in the league to his name already.

Al Nassr vs Al Ahli Prediction

Predicting the final result of the game is a challenging task due to the lack of difference in the quality of the two sides. Recent meetings have been kinder towards Al Nassr, but the margins of victories have always been close ones. Al-Ahli will believe and know that rectifying certain controllable factors will make them a big obstacle for its opponents to cross. Al Nassr’s off-the-pitch issues can also play a big role in how Luis Castro’s team performs on Friday.

Predicted Score: Al Nassr 2-2 Al-Ahli (Watch Live)

Also Read: USA vs New Zealand Prediction, Preview, Lineups and Team News | Friendlies | September 10, 2024

Where to watch Al Nassr vs Al Ahli Live?

Country	Where to watch
USA	FOX Sports
UK	DAZN
India	Sony Network/SonyLiv
Saudi Arabia	SSC

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