Al-Nassr will play host to Al Fateh on Sunday in an important game at both ends of the Saudi Pro League table.
After returning to winning ways last time out, the home side sit fourth, two points behind third spot and 11 behind the top two, while their visitors remain at the foot of the table but moved closer to safety with a second win of the season on Wednesday.
Match preview
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Al-Nassr return to action on Sunday in search of a second straight win to narrow their gap to the division's frontrunners, having lost ground before the turn of the year.
Aiming to win their 10th domestic top-flight title, and a first since 2019 after a second-placed finish last time around, the Faris Najd currently sit fourth heading into the second half of the campaign having amassed 32 points from their first 16 outings, 11 fewer than fellow title-chasers Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad.
After a strong start by Stefano Pioli's side, the cause was harmed in late 2024, as their last six outings of the year produced just two more victories and their first two league defeats of the campaign, falling short against Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiyah ahead of the winter break.
They have bounced back in the new year, though, beginning with a 3-1 beating of Al Okhdood and a 1-1 draw away at Al-Taawoun, before most recently visiting Al Khaleej on Tuesday and taking all three points from another 3-1 triumph, despite being level heading into the final 10 minutes, as Sultan Al-Ghannam put Pioli's men back ahead and Cristiano Ronaldo sealed the points with his second goal of the game late on.
Having remained within two points of third-placed Al-Qadsiyah and 11 behind the top two following that win, Al-Nassr will know they have little more room for error if they are to catch the frontrunners in the title race in the second half of the season and will aim to make it back-to-back wins and spark a run on Sunday.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, also go in search of a crucial victory at the weekend in their own fight at the other end of the table.
After recording top-eight finishes in each of the last four Saudi Pro League seasons, Al Fateh have endured a poor first half to the 2024-25 campaign, sitting at the bottom of the division throughout thus far having only picked up nine points from their opening 16 outings.
In those games, Al Namothji have managed just two victories and suffered 11 defeats, with the opening victory followed by a 13-match run which produced three draws and 10 losses, conceding 32 goals along the way while only scoring 11.
That slump culminated in a 9-0 thrashing away at Al-Hilal in mid-January in Jose Gomes's second game at the helm following Jens Gustafsson's departure, but they were able to bounce back to winning ways on Wednesday, hosting Damac and coming from behind to take all three points in a 2-1 triumph as Sofiane Bendebka levelled the scores and Mourad Batna sealed the victory with a penalty in the 20th minute of injury time.
While that result was not enough to lift Al Fateh off the bottom of the Saudi Pro League table, they did narrow their gap to 17th-placed Al-Wehda to three points and their gap to safety to five, and they will aim to take a major scalp on Sunday to build further confidence and improve their survival hopes at the halfway stage of the term.
Team News
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Al-Nassr could be unchanged from their midweek away win over Al Khaleej, with attacker Talisca set to remain out of action through injury, while key defender Aymeric Laporteis unavailable due to personal circumstances.
In Laporte's absence, Ali Lajami should again join Mohamed Simakan at the heart of a back four, while Ali Al-Hassan will hope to keep his place alongside Marcelo Brozovic in the engine room.
With Talisca not in contention, Sadio Mane, Otavio and Angelo Gabriel will line up in support of talismanic captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who leads the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 13 goals so far this season having netted 77 goals and contributed 18 assists in his 86 appearances for the club.
Al Fateh could also be unchanged from their victory last time out, having bounced back from the 9-0 loss to Al-Hilal.
Djaniny, who has netted four goals in 13 league appearances so far this term, will continue to lead the line, while Mourad Batna will again join Matias Vargas and Amine Sbai in support.
Sofiane Bendebka is a mainstay in midfield and has contributed four goals of his own thus far, while former Lyon man Jason Denayer will continue to play a key role in the middle of the defence, likely joined by Ammar Al-Dohaim.
Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:
Bento; Al Ghanam, Simakan, Lajami, Boushal; Brozovic, Al-Hassan; Gabriel, Otavio, Mane; Ronaldo
Al Fateh possible starting lineup:
Szappanos; Baattiah, Al-Dohaim, Denayer, Al-Zarie; Bendebka, Al-Zaid; Batna, Vargas, Sbai; Djaniny
We say: Al-Nassr 3-0 Al Fateh
Al Fateh will travel with renewed confidence at the weekend after a crucial win on Wednesday, but the hosts' superior quality should see them to a comfortable victory knowing only a winning run will suffice to maintain any slim title hopes this season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
