Kingdom Arena will host six matches in the fight for a place in the AFC Champions League on Friday, as Al Hilal host Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Al Za’eem will be looking to make it four wins in a row this week, while Al Alami will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to five games with three points.
Before the international break, Jorge Jesus’ Al Hilal recorded a comprehensive 4-0 AFC Champions League win over Pakhtakor, in between two 2-0 league wins over Al Fayha and most recently Al Taawoun.
In the win over Sukkari Al Qassim, Mohamed Kanno and Marcos Leonardo scored either side of half-time to earn Al Za’eem all three points, and it’s fair to say that the visitors completely dominated the game, as they had eight times more shots on target than their opponents.
In addition to those wins, Jesus’ men have now kept three clean sheets in a row in all competitions ahead of this week’s crucial fixture, and their six domestic points also keep them second in the table, six points clear of third-placed Chelsea.
Al Hilal will be confident of maintaining that position, given they have only lost once at the Kingdom Arena since 2023, although that defeat came against Al Ahli in their last home game on February 28.
Should Al Hilal manage to secure their 19th win of the league season in this all-important fixture, then they could find themselves nine points clear of third place, and their place in the 2025-26 edition of the AFC Champions League Elite would be all but assured.
Meanwhile, Stefano Pioli’s Al Nassr recorded an impressive run of wins in the Saudi Pro League between late January and mid-February, but they have stumbled in recent weeks, dropping eight points in their last five league games.
Most recently, Al Alami beat Al Kholood 3-1 on March 14, and despite Nawaf Boushal being sent off, the star trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Jhon Duran all scored to secure the win.
The three points moved Pioli’s side up to third in the standings, six points behind this week’s opponents and level with Al Qadsiah in the race for a Champions League spot next season.
With Al Hilal closing in on a point, Saturday’s away game could be crucial to their continental hopes, but having won just one of their last four away games in all competitions, the visitors will need to channel their early-season away form if they are to pick up all three points.
A hard-fought victory would take Al Nassr to within one win of the Champions League Elite spots, although defeat would give fourth-placed Al Qadsiah a chance to claim a Champions League 2 spot, if they can add to their points tally.
Head to head:
- 11/02/2024 Al Nassr 1-1 Al Hilal
- 08/17/2024 Al Nassr 1-4 Al Hilal
- 01/06/2024 Al Hilal 1-1 Al Nassr
- 05/18/2024 Al Nassr 1-1 Al Hilal
- 09/04/2024 Al Hilal 2-1 Al Nassr
Al Hilal vs Al Nassr Predicted line-ups:
Al Hilal (4-2-3-1): Bono (GK); Yami, Tambakti, Koulibaly, Lodi; Neves, Kanno; Cesar, Malcolm, Al-Dawsari; Leonardo
Al Nassr (4-4-2): Bento (GK); Simakan, Lajami, Al-Fatil, Alnajdi; Angelo, Al-Hassan, Brozovic, Mane; Duran, Ronaldo
Prediction:
We say: Al Hilal 2-1 Al Nassr
With so much at stake this week, Al Nassr will be looking to close the gap on their opponents to six points, so expect a tight contest.
That said, Al Hilal have made their home ground a fortress over the years, and with such a good defensive record, it is hard to see the hosts dropping points in this one.
