Al Ettifaq will put their perfect record in the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League season on the line on Friday night when they welcome Al-Nassr to the Al Ettifaq Club Stadium for a gameweek four showdown.
The hosts have taken the maximum nine points from their first three matches in the new league season, while the visitors have made a stuttering start, managing five points over the same period.
Match preview
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Al Ettifaq were widely tipped to be the side to challenge the PIF-owned club's dominance last season, but they failed to live up to the expectation, ending the campaign in sixth place and managing exactly half the 96-point tally of league winners Al-Hilal.
However, the Knights of Ad-Dahna have begun this term in the best way possible, securing a 1-0 win away at Al-Shabab followed by a 1-0 victory over Al-Akhdoud and a 2-1 triumph versus Al-Fateh either side of the international break.
This promising start has been much-needed for Steven Gerrard after his disappointing first year in charge, and his side have now won the opening three games for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign, when they triumphed in seven of their first 10, going undefeated across that same period.
If Al-Ettifaq pick up a victory against last season's runners-up on Friday, it will mark the club's longest winning streak since they last won four consecutive games between October and November of 2012.
While the hosts did lose to their upcoming opponents in the last two encounters, it is worth noting that both those defeats were in Riyadh, while here in Dammam, they are unbeaten in the last three, including a 2-1 league victory last season.
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Meanwhile, things have not been going well over at Al-Nassr, with the side delivering a few underwhelming performances in the early stages of the season, which sees them already trailing the top three by four points.
Over the first three league games, the Knights of Najd have returned draws against Al Raed and Al Ahli with a win over Al Fayha in between, before playing out another stalemate in their opening AFC Champions League fixture against Al Shorta on Monday night.
With Cristiano Ronaldo and Aymeric Laporte both missing, Nassr found the going tough at Al-Madina International Stadium, and that match turned out to be the last one for Luis Castro, who was sacked by the club on Tuesday night.
Al-Alami wasted no time in replacing the Portuguese manager, appointing former AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli as his replacement the following day, and the Italian tactician will be set to make his debut in this one.
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Team News
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Gerrard has just one injury absentee at present in the form of Scottish centre-back Jack Hendry, who has yet to feature this season owing to a serious knee injury.
Former Leicester City winger Demarai Gray missed Al Ettifaq's last match after arriving late from international duty with Jamaica, but he could now have serious competition for a starting spot after Joao Costa's impressive cameo last week.
Pioli may have to start his tenure in the Middle East without the services of club captain Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese legend was forced to miss the team's trip to Iran due to illness.
If CR7 is unable to feature in this match as well, Talisca is the most likely candidate to lead the line for the visitors, with Otavio and Sadio Mane providing the support in attack from midfield.
Al Ettifaq possible starting lineup:
Rodak; Otaibi, Al-Khateeb, Madu, Alolayan; Vitinho, Wijnaldum, Fofana; Radif, Dembele, Gray
Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:
Bento; Al Ghanam, Alawjami, Laporte, Simakan; Brozovic, Al-Khaibari, Mane, Ghareeb, Otavio; Talisca
We say: Al Ettifaq 1-1 Al-Nassr
Usually, Al-Nassr would enter this fixture as clear favourites, but opinions are divided this time given the start they have made and the potential absence of Cristiano Ronaldo. We are expecting a very evenly contested match here and feel that there will be nothing to split these two at the final whistle.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
