Two sides looking to build on recent victories go head-to-head in Round 23 of the Saudi Pro League as Al Orubah welcome Al-Nassr to the Al Jouf University Stadium on Friday.
The visitors claimed a commanding 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture, further extending their dominance over the hosts who have struggled across all six meetings between both sides, conceding 12 goals while managing to score just three.
Match preview
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Al-Nassr responded well to their shock 3-2 defeat against Al-Ettifaq at Al-Awwal Park, securing a crucial 2-0 win away to Al Wahda on Tuesday.
After a goalless first half, the match sparked into life after the break, with Cristiano Ronaldo opening the scoring just three minutes into the second period before winning a stoppage-time penalty that Sadio Mane calmly converted.
The victory was vital for Stefano Pioli's men, ensuring they retained third place in the standings courtesy of a superior goal difference over fourth-placed Al Quadisiya, who sit level on points.
With their title hopes fading and their King's Cup campaign already over, Al-Nassr must now focus on securing a top-three finish to guarantee a place in next season's AFC Champions League.
Avoiding further slip-ups will be crucial, and facing a struggling Al Orubah side presents an opportunity to build momentum. Al-Nassr have dominated this fixture historically, winning all six previous meetings, and they will be confident of extending that perfect record.
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Al Orubah, meanwhile, enter one of their toughest fixtures of the season at a time when they desperately need points to pull further away from the relegation battle.
Having secured promotion from the second division last season, the Sakakah-based club initially struggled to adapt to top-flight football, winning just four of their first 18 matches.
However, recent weeks have seen a marked improvement, with three victories in their last four league outings, which has brought improvement in their league standings and improved their survival chances.
Most recently, Alvaro Pacheco's side bounced back from a 1-0 defeat to Al Fateh by claiming a hard-fought 2-1 win over Damac last Monday, lifting them to 13th place with 23 points—six clear of the drop zone.
Al Orubah's home form has also seen an upturn, with back-to-back wins following a dismal run of six consecutive defeats – those two victories saw them score six goals while conceding just twice, and they will be keen to extend that positive streak on Friday.
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Team News
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Al-Nassr remain without Portuguese midfielder Otavio, who has missed the last three matches after sustaining an injury against Al Ahli on 13 February.
Saudi international Sami Al-Najei has been sidelined with a serious knee injury since last August and will not feature in Tuesday's clash.
January signing Jhon Duran is still suspended after receiving a straight red card in the defeat to Al-Ettifaq for striking an opposition player.
Al Orubah, meanwhile, continue to be without Ivory Coast international Jean Michael Seri, who has been sidelined with a muscle injury since October.
Cristian Tello, the hosts' top league scorer with five goals this season, missed the last match and remains a doubt for this one.
Al Orubah possible starting lineup:
Bento; Boushal, Al-Fatil, Laporte, Qasheesh; Yahya, Sulaiheem, Al-Hassan, Ghareeb; Mane, Ronaldo
Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:
Coucke; Al-Maghati, Kandouss, Al-Showaish, Al Zubaidi; Muhar, Gudmundsson; Abu Taha, Al-Shammeri, Al-Torais; Al Soma
We say: Al Orubah 1-3 Al-Nassr
Al-Nassr will be eager to build on their midweek win as they chase a top-three finish, while Al Orubah look to continue their recent resurgence and pull further clear of the drop zone. However, the visitors have dominated this fixture historically, and with the league's leading scorer Ronaldo in fine form, they should secure maximum points here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
