Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr will face off in the final of the Riyadh Season Cup on Thursday. After winning their first games against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, the two teams have given themselves a chance at greatness.
Preview (Al-Hilal vs. Al-Nassr)
Not too long ago, Al-Hilal began 2024 with an exciting 4-3 victory over Inter Miami. It capped up a spectacular 20-game winning run in all competitions with 60 goals scored. Messi and Luis Suarez both scored goals for the Major League Soccer team. Al-Hilal prevailed thanks to a goal from Malcom in the 88th minute. It which came after goals from Alexander Mitrovic, Abdullah Al-Hamddan, and Michael in the first half. Securing a victory over Al-Nassr, the city’s adversary, in the Riyadh Season Cup would be a great start for Jorge Jesus’ team, as winning the King’s Cup, the AFC Champions League, and the Saudi Pro League are all major goals for this season.
With 15 league games left, Al-Hilal is presently sitting seven points clear at the top of the table. It puts them in a great position to win a record-extending 19th Saudi Pro League title. Their closest rivals are none other than Al-Nassr, who they play on Thursday. Al-Nassr has gone on a seven-game unbeaten streak since losing that match to Al-Hilal. It includes six straight wins in which they scored 27 goals. Naturally, Luis Castro’s team is in high spirits going into Thursday’s match after thrashing Inter Miami 6-0 in their previous outing last week.
The Global One handled the loss of star player Cristiano Ronaldo with ease as Anderson Talisca scored a hat-trick in addition to goals from Ottavio, Mohammed Maran, and Aymeric Laporte, the latter of whom scored from inside his half, to guarantee the Saudi team’s most comprehensive win of the year. In preparation for their AFC Champions League semifinal matchup with Al Feiha the following week—a tournament they are fervently hoping to win for the first time—Al-Nassr will be anxious to continue their strong play.
Team News
Al-Hilal is still adjusting to life without their big summer acquisition, Neymar, who is recovering from an ACL injury. However, Jesus’s team may benefit from the return of as many as twelve players from international service. Senegalese defender Kalifa Koulibaly, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, and Mauritanian midfielder Khadim Diaw are all expected to return after being eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations, respectively. Renan Lodi, a recent addition, made his debut last game and is anticipated to stick at left-back with players like Mitrovic, who has scored 25 goals in 26 games this season, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Regarding Al-Nassr, Ronaldo missed the victory over Inter Miami due to an injury. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is anticipated to start on Thursday. Ronaldo turned 39 on Monday and has scored 24 goals in 25 games this season. After playing for Senegal at the AFCON, Sadio Mane is also a possibility to return. If he does, he may partner with Ronaldo in attack alongside Talisca and Otavio. It will push Maran and Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa to the bench. When David Ospina returned to the Al-Nassr side last time out, he was pulled off in the first half due to a muscular issue after more than a year on the sidelines recovering from an elbow injury; the Colombian is a significant doubt.
Al-Hilal 2-2 Al-Nassr
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