In danger of missing out on a top three finish, Al-Nassr travel to relegation-threatened Al Okhdood on Monday evening for round 31 of the Saudi Pro League, seeking to halt their recent slide and revive hopes of securing a continental berth for next season.
Tucked into fourth place with 60 points, the Big Yellow find themselves squeezed between Al Quadisiya in fifth on 59 and third-placed Al Ahli on 61, while the hosts battle tooth and nail to avoid relegation.
Match preview
Al-Nassr approach this fixture off the back of a frustrating run, having suffered consecutive defeats across both the AFC Champions League and the top flight, a stretch that has somewhat derailed their campaign.
Elimination from Asia’s elite club competition at the semi-final stage following a 3-2 loss to Kawasaki Frontale was a bitter pill to swallow, and things went from bad to worse when Stefano Pioli‘s men let a two-goal lead slip in a 3-2 reverse against Al Ittihad last weekend.
It has been a rollercoaster season for the Riyadh-based outfit, whose inability to keep pace at the top has left them clinging to fading title ambitions, despite a three-game winning streak earlier this spring that briefly narrowed the gap at the summit to six points.
However, two losses in their last four matches have left Al-Nassr 11 points adrift with only four games to play, leaving the 2018-19 champions with little to chase but a place among the continent’s elite once more.
With history firmly in their favour, Monday’s trip to Prince Hathloul Sports City Stadium presents an opportunity to respond, having won all three prior meetings with Al Okhdood, netting thrice in each, including the reverse fixture which ended 3-1.
For all their inconsistencies, Pioli’s men boast the league’s best away record with 32 points from 15 matches on the road, and they will be counting on that resilience to shine through once more in Najran.
Meanwhile, Al Okhdood find themselves two points from safety with four matches remaining, having picked up 28 points so far in what has been a testing campaign.
The Ambassador of Najran appeared to have turned a corner, recording victories in three of their last six league matches after a barren spell of eight winless games, a run that brought renewed belief in their survival chances.
That streak was built on a solid defensive foundation, with clean sheets in three of those encounters, but Al Okhdood’s resolve faltered last time out when they conceded twice in a 2-1 loss to fellow strugglers Al Wahda, despite taking the lead.
That result brought their five-game unbeaten run to a halt and was the first time the Najran club had shipped more than one goal in a match since late February.
For Paulo Sergio‘s side, the key to salvaging something here will lie in how well they can contain Al-Nassr’s attacking threat, especially given the visitors have found the net at least twice in six of their last seven league matches.
Home advantage has counted for little for Al Okhdood this season, with nine losses on familiar turf, the joint most in the division, while their haul of just 10 points from 15 home games ranks as the second worst overall.
Team News
Petros remains the only absentee for Al Okhdood ahead of Monday’s clash with Al-Nassr, with the midfielder ruled out until the end of the month due to a serious knee injury.
Christian Bassogog and Saviour Godwin are currently tied as the club’s joint top scorers, having each netted six times in the league, and both are expected to flank Ousmane Barry in attack once again, with the latter likely to retain his place after finding the net last time out.
As for Al-Nassr, Abdulrahman Gareeb and Aymeric Laporte will not make the trip to Najran, with both sidelined through muscle injuries.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be aiming to return to the scoresheet after drawing blanks in his last two league outings, as the league’s leading marksman looks to add to his impressive tally of 23 goals.
Al Okhdood possible starting lineup:
Vitor; Asiri, Al-Rubaie, Lowe; Khamis, Pedroza, Musona, Al-Qaydhi, Bassogog, Barry, Godwin
Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:
Bento; Ghanam, Simakan, Lajami, Al-Boushail; Al-Hassan, Brozovic; Yahya, Otavio, Mane; Ronaldo
We say: Al Okhdood 1-2 Al-Nassr
While Al Okhdood are expected to put up a fight given their recent upturn in results, the visitors’ superior quality could ultimately tilt the balance, although Al-Nassr will be cautious after seeing the Najran side shock Al Ahli at Prince Hathloul not long ago.
That said, the hosts should fancy their chances of getting on the scoresheet, with Pioli’s men looking vulnerable at the back, having conceded in each of their last six league outings, including at least twice in the most recent three.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
