Al Ittihad vs Al Nassr Lineups, prediction, betting tips & odds
Eight points separate them in the title race.
We have a blockbuster fixture on our horizon as table-toppers Al Ittihad welcome Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in one of the most anticipated clashes of the season. It is in the round 13 action of the Saudi Pro League on Friday at the King Abdullah Sports City.
Al Ittihad are genuine title contenders for the Saudi Pro League this season after making a fantastic start under their new manager Laurent Blanc. They are currently leading the charts two points above second place Al Hilal after accumulating 33 points from the starting 12 games. They have won 11 and lost only once which shows the improvement they have made this season over the last.
Al Nassr on the other hand haven’t been at their best form this season as they find themselves eight points behind their opponents on Friday. Goalscoring has been a major problem for the team as they are reliant on Cristiano Ronaldo to score the goals evident by their loss in the midweek without him. If Stefan Pioli’s side want to be genuine title contenders, the other players will also have to chip in with goals as they now languish in the third spot.
Kick-Off:
Friday, 6 December 2024 at 5:00 PM UK; 10:30 PM IST
Location: King Abdullah Sports City
Form:
Al Ittihad (in all competitions): W-W-W-W-W
Al Nassr (in all competitions): W-L-W-W-L
Players to Watch
Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad)
After a tough spell last term, Karim Benzema is fit and firing, scoring nine goals from nine appearances while also laying on three assists for his teammates. His return to form has been a big boost for the team as they are leading the charts thanks to his goal-scoring prowess. He will be the player to look out for the home side as Benzema has all the tools to be the difference-maker here.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the saviour for Al Nassr this season with the forward scoring yet another brace to give the three points to the side (against Damac). Al Nassr looked like a disjointed side without him as he was badly missed in their defeat against Al Sadd in the midweek. Ronaldo has nine goals to his name in the league and 15 in all competitions this season. He now needs three more goals to overtake Aleksandar Mitrovic to become the top scorer in the league.
Match Facts
- Al Ittihad defeated Al Ettifaq by a 4-0 scoreline in the previous league game
- Al Nassr secured a 2-0 victory over Damac in the previous league game
- Al Nassr have been awarded the most penalties this season (6)
Al Ittihad vs Al Nassr: Betting tips and odds
- Tip 1: Cristiano Ronaldo to score the first goal
- Tip 2: Game to end in a draw– 13/5 with William HILL
- Tip 3: Both teams to score in this game– 2/5 with Sky Bet
Injury & Team News
Al Ittihad have a couple of injury concerns in their squad. The likes of Abdulaziz Al Bishi, Luiz Felipe, and Moussa Diaby are sidelined for this game. There are also doubts over the fitness of Andulelah Saeed which will be looked at before the game.
For Al Nassr, they have only one injury concern as long-term absentee Sami Al-Najei remains out with a knee injury. The return of Aymeric Laporte in midweek was a huge boost for the team with Stefan Pioli also mentioning Mohamed Simakan shall be back for this crucial clash.
Head to Head
Total Matches – 22
Al Ittihad – 7
Al Nassr– 10
Draws – 5
Predicted Lineup
Al Ittihad predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):
Rajkovic (GK); Mitaj, Pereira, Kadesh, Shanqeeti; Fabinho, Kante; Bergwijn, Aouar, Hawsawi; Benzema
Al Nassr predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):
Krepski (GK); Al Ghanam, Simakan, Laporte, Al-Boushail; Alkhaibari, Brozovic; Talisca, Otavio, Mane; Ronaldo
Match Prediction for Al Ittihad vs Al Nassr
Al Ittihad are genuine title contenders this season having impressed everyone with their performance so far. In contrast, Al Nassr are failing to dominate games and rely on Cristiano Ronaldo for goals. We expect this game to be even with a draw being a fair result for either of the teams.
Prediction: Al Ittihad 2-2 Al Nassr
Telecast for Al Ittihad vs Al Nassr
India – Sony LIV, Sony Sports Network
UK – DAZN UK
US – fuboTV, FOX Deportes
Nigeria – StarTimes App, Sporty TV
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