Saudi giants Al Nassr and Al Hilal are set to face off in the final match of the Riyadh Season Cup. This friendly game marks the end of the mid-season break for the Middle Eastern teams before they resume regular competition. Both teams have been in excellent form, winning their last five matches. Al Nassr will be boosted by the return of their Portuguese star, who is expected to play on Thursday. It will be intriguing to see if the Al Nassr captain can lead his team to victory against their arch-rivals.
Al Hilal will be confident heading into the fixture. They dominated Al Nassr in their previous meeting, securing a convincing 3-0 win. Serbian standout Aleksander Mitrovic was the standout performer, scoring two goals. Al Hilal will hope that Mitrovic can replicate his impressive performance and help his team claim bragging rights once again.
While both teams possess the firepower to cause damage, Al Hilal will be the favorites. They have a psychological advantage over their rivals after their one-sided victory in their previous encounter. Additionally, Al Hilal’s defense is back to its best, with key players returning just in time for the match. Considering all factors, Al Hilal is likely to emerge victorious after a hard-fought contest.
Predicted odds:
– Al Hilal to win: 1.75
– Al Nassr to win: 2.90
– Draw after 90 minutes: 2.35
Al Hilal has received a significant boost ahead of the game against Al Nassr. Yassine Bounou, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Kharim Diaw will return to the field after international duty. However, Salman Al-Faraj’s availability is uncertain as he is being investigated by the Saudi Arabian FA for leaving the national camp.
Luis Castro should have all his players available for selection. However, there are doubts about Sultan Al-Ghannam’s availability, as he faces a similar situation to Salman Al-Faraj. Cristiano Ronaldo has fully recovered and will be in action for his team. Senegalese superstar Sadio Mane has also returned from international duty and will be eligible for selection.
Predicted line-ups:
– Al Hilal: (4-2-3-1) Bono; Al Shahrani, Al Dawsari, Koulibaly, Lodi; Milinkovic-Savic, Neves; Michael, Al-Hamdan, Malcom; Mitrovic.
– Al Nassr: (4-2-3-1) Abdullah; Boushal, Alamri, Laporte, Telles; Al Sulaiheem, Brozovic; Talisca, Otavio, Mane; Ronaldo.
The match between the two teams will kick off at 01:00 PM (EST) at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Fans worldwide can watch the live action on DAZN. Please note that the broadcasting rights for the Riyadh Season Cup matches were limited to Inter Miami games on Apple TV.