Reeling from their sixth consecutive league defeat, Al Raed will have their hands full against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr when they come visiting in gameweek 18 of the Saudi Pro League at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on Thursday.
The hosts will be looking to snap a six-game losing streak, whereas the fourth-placed visitors are looking to make it three wins on the bounce.
Match preview
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Al Raed have struggled to find their rhythm in the current campaign, having managed only four wins from 17 games so far this season, and a defeat in this fixture could see them plunge into the relegation zone.
The hosts come into this contest off the back of a 2-1 loss to Al Kholood in gameweek 17 at the Ar-Rass Stadium.
That result marked their sixth consecutive defeat in the top flight, leaving them dangerously hovering above the drop zone with 14 points, a spot above the relegation zone on goal difference.
Desperate for a win to put more distance between themselves and the teams below them in the standings, a record of one victory in seven matches since November, coupled with their failure to score in three of those fixtures, does not bode well for them.
Their leaky defence is also a reason to worry for Odair Hellmann – considering the 30 goals conceded so far this season, and the 14 shipped during their recent six-game losing streak, they have their work cut out against Al-Nassr, who have scored 10 in their last four league exertions.
However, despite their dismal form, Hellmann's team are unbeaten in their last two meetings against Thursday's opponents in the league, winning one and drawing the other.
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After finishing a distant second, 14 points behind champions Al-Hilal last season, Al-Nassr have found competition for the title even tougher this term.
Although Stefano Pioli's team claimed a 3-1 victory over Al Fateh at Al-Awwal Park in their last top-flight fixture to make it back-to-back wins, the Knight of Najd are still far off the pace.
The Riyadh-based team sit fourth in the standings with 35 points from 17 matches – eight fewer than Al-Hilal and Karim Benzema's Al-Ittihad.
Rarely kept at bay on enemy territory, the Heart of Najd have breached their opponents in all eight fixtures on their travels this season – with at least three goals scored in four of those matches – and 10 recorded in their last three trips to the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium.
Al-Nassr will fancy their chances of claiming a third win on the bounce in the league, given the abysmal form of the hosts in addition to the visitors' eight-game winning streak against Hellmann's team on the road.
Team News
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Al Raed may opt for the same starting XI that featured against Al-Kholood, with Meshari Sunyur keeping his place between the sticks, while Hamad Al Jayzani, Oumar Gonzalez, Mubarak Al Rajeh and Zakaria Hawsawi are almost certain to make up the back four.
Up front, Saleh Al Amri could be paired with Amir Sayoud, who found the back of the net in their last outing in the league.
However, Mohammed Fouzair will not be part of the squad due to a cruciate ligament injury suffered in October.
As for the visitors, Sami Al-Najei is out with a cruciate ligament tear, while Ayman Yahya is still recuperating from a leg injury.
In attack, the timeless Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 16 goal involvements, is expected to lead the line in what will be his last league match before turning 40, while he will likely be supported by Sadio Mane, Otavio and Angelo.
Al Raed possible starting lineup:
Sunyur; Al Jayzani, Gonzalez, Al Rajeh, Hawsawi; Al Dossary, Abeid, Normann, Bouzok; Al Amri, Sayoud
Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:
Bento; Bu Washl, Lajami, Simakan, Al Ghannam; Brozovic, Al Khaibari; Mane, Otavio, Angelo; Ronaldo
We say: Al Raed 1-3 Al-Nassr
Al Raed are currently going through a rough patch, and a fixture against Al-Nassr is anything but a walk in the park. Given the quality within the ranks of the visitors, we predict a 3-1 win for Al-Nassr.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
