Preview: Al Fateh vs. Al-Nassr – prediction, group information, lineups

Out of first-tier continental soccer rivalry for subsequent season, Al-Nassr make the journey to Al Fateh on Monday for gameweek 34 of the Saudi Professional League, aiming for max factors to revive their top-three hopes.

The Large Yellow enter the ultimate encounter of the marketing campaign sitting fourth on 67 factors, one adrift of third-placed Al Quadisiya and 5 behind Al Hilal in second, whereas the hosts are already assured of one other season within the prime flight.

Match preview

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A prestigious honour within the panorama of Saudi membership soccer, however Al Ahli’s current AFC Champions League success has ended up complicating issues for Al-Nassr’s ambitions on the continental stage.

With the Jeddah facet now claiming one of many three allotted slots, solely two extra groups can safe their place within the AFC Champions League by means of a top-flight end, leaving Stefan Pioli‘s facet in an uncomfortable place.

Their 1-1 draw in opposition to Al Taawoun successfully extinguished any lingering hopes of qualification, and though Al-Nassr returned to profitable methods with a 2-0 dwelling victory over Al Khaleej, the consequence made no distinction to their standing, leaving Al-Alami in peril of lacking out on continental soccer subsequent time period altogether.

For Pioli’s males to succeed in the AFC Champions League Two subsequent season, they have to now end third and hope Al-Ittihad overcome Al Qadsiah within the King’s Cup closing later this month.

After ending runners-up final time period, the Large Yellow’s marketing campaign has did not reside as much as the expectations of their passionate assist, extending their title drought to 6 straight seasons and marking a second full yr since Cristiano Ronaldo‘s arrival with out main silverware.

The Portuguese icon tried to appease followers with a gesture of apology following his objective final outing, having missed an earlier penalty, although he nonetheless tops the division’s scoring chart with 24 objectives to his identify.

Regardless of their frustrations, Al-Nassr’s frontline has delivered constantly, netting 76 instances – the third-most tally within the league – however a leaky defence that has shipped 37 means Pioli’s males have usually wanted a number of objectives to edge matches, on condition that they’ve solely failed to attain as soon as all season and recorded only a single 1-0 win.

Nonetheless, they need to fancy their possibilities of taking most factors on Monday, having recorded victory in every of their final 4 encounters in opposition to Al Fateh, discovering the online not less than twice in all of them, together with a 5-0 hammering the final time the Large Yellow travelled for this fixture.

Their away type has been significantly spectacular, with the facet main the division’s journey desk after choosing up 35 factors from 16 highway video games.

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Al Fateh, alternatively, might have slipped to a slender 4-3 defeat in opposition to Al Hilal of their most up-to-date dwelling match, however a run of three wins of their final 4 ought to provide an honest platform going into the ultimate weekend.

That mentioned, the decisive consequence for security got here on the highway the place Jose Gomes‘s males held agency for a hard-earned 1-0 victory at Damac, because of Mourad Batna‘s strike simply previous the hour mark.

The win introduced a two-game shedding streak to an finish and marked their fifth success within the final 9 outings, a run that has seen Al Fateh pull away from the drop zone to sit down twelfth on 36 factors, 5 clear heading into the ultimate league encounter of the season.

For a facet ending within the backside half, the Sons of the Palm have had their moments in assault with 44 objectives scored – a return higher than a number of sides positioned above them.

Nevertheless, a porous backline that has let in 59 continues to be their Achilles’ heel, and it stays to be seen whether or not Al Fateh can maintain off a free-scoring Al-Nassr facet for 90 minutes.

Al Fateh Saudi Professional League type:

Al-Nassr Saudi Professional League type:

Al-Nassr type (all competitions):

Crew Information

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There was speak that Ronaldo might quickly hyperlink up with a facet concerned within the Membership World Cup earlier than returning to rejoin Al-Nassr.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner stays the league’s main marksman this season, and with a three-goal cushion on the prime of the scoring charts, he shall be decided to widen that hole and seal the Golden Boot.

Jhon Duran additionally acquired on the scoresheet final outing, and with momentum on his facet, he has a powerful case to maintain his place within the beginning eleven, probably partnering Ronaldo once more in a 4-4-2 system as seen in that earlier outing.

Suhayb Al Zaid stays the one harm concern for Al Fateh going into Monday’s conflict, with the midfielder anticipated to be sidelined till 2026 as a result of a long-term knee challenge.

Batna’s strike final outing was his twelfth of the marketing campaign, bringing him stage with Sofiane Bendebka on the summit of the scoring desk, with each gamers little question wanting to edge forward.

Al Fateh potential beginning lineup:
Al-Aqidi; Al Dohaim, Fernandes, Saadane; Julaydan, Youssef, Bendebka, Qasim; Batna, Vargas, Sbai

Al-Nassr potential beginning lineup:
Bento; Al Ghanam, Simakan, Al-Fatil, Boushal; Yahya, Khaibari, Otavio, Mane; Duran, Ronaldo

We are saying: Al Fateh 1-3 Al-Nassr

Al-Nassr go into this one realizing there isn’t any margin for error, and contemplating their spectacular file on the highway this season in addition to their commanding grip on this fixture in recent times, they need to have sufficient to return out on prime, even when Al Fateh might ask a couple of robust questions within the closing third.

For information evaluation of the most definitely outcomes, scorelines and extra for this match please click on right here.

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