Al-Nassr will get their 2024-25 Saudi Pro League season underway in midweek when they take on Al Raed at Al Awal Park at King Saud University on Thursday night.
The hosts ended last season as runners-up in the top flight standings with 82 points, while the visitors finished the term in 12th place with 37 points.
Match preview
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Al-Nassr will enter the new season hoping for a better campaign after ending last term trophyless and 14 points behind runaway league winners Al-Hilal, who claimed the domestic double.
However, the Knights of Najd have already experienced their first bit of heartbreak this season, as they suffered a crushing 4-1 loss to the Blue Waves in the Saudi Super Cup final over the weekend.
Cristiano Ronaldo gave Al-Alami the perfect start, putting his side ahead just before the half-time interval but the league champions stormed back in the second period, with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Malcom all finding the back of the net in the space of 18 minutes.
The Portuguese superstar was evidently displeased with his side's performance and stormed off the pitch and into the dressing room at the final whistle without picking up his runners-up medal.
Al-Nassr will now look to put that disapointment behind them and get their league campaign off to a more promising start, and they will be fairly confident in their chances of doing so, having gone unbeaten in their final six home league games last season.
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Meanwhile, Al Raed will enter this match with fond memories of this venue, as they were one of only two sides, along with Al-Taawoun to leave Al Awal Park with all three points last season.
That victory came in March this year, thanks to goals by Karim El Berkaoui, Mohamed Fouzair and Amir Sayoud, while only Aiman Yahya managed to find the back of the net for the hosts on the day.
However, following that against-the-odds victory, Raed Al Tahadi only managed three wins in the next 11 matches leading up to the end of the season, while drawing five and losing three of their remaining eight games.
Al Raed bid farewell to Igor Jovicevic during the offseason with former Al-Riyadh and Santos boss Odair Hellmann brought in as his successor, and the Brazilian tactician would love nothing more than to mark his debut with a win over the PIF-owned powerhouse.
Last season, the side earned a total of 18 points from 17 away games, with a record of four wins, six draws and seven losses, though they did score 21 goals in that time which was the same tally as sixth-placed Al Ettifaq managed on the road.
Team News
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Al-Nassr have no major injury concerns to start the new season and will also be able to weclome back Marcelo Brozovic, who was forced to sit out the Super Cup final after being sent off in the semi-final against Al-Taawoun.
Brazilian forward Talisca missed a large chunk of last season due to a thigh muscle injury but was part of the side's pre-season camp and is expected to join Ronaldo and Sadio Mane in attack this week.
Al Raed have just one known injury absentee for this season-opener in the form of new arrival Zakaria Hawsawi, who sustained a knee injury last May and is still a few weeks away from making his full return.
El Berkaoui was the side's top-scorer with 13 goals last term and should lead the line in midweek, while Saleh Al-Amri will be hoping to make his debut after securing a loan move to the club from Al-Ittihad this summer.
Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:
Bento; Al Ghanam, Alawjami, Laporte, Telles; Al-Khaibari, Otavio; Yahya, Talisca, Mane; Ronaldo
Al Raed possible starting lineup:
Sunyur; Al Dossary; Gonzalez, Al Dosari, Al-Jayzani; Fouzair, Hazazi, Normann; Sayoud, El Berkaoui, Al-Ghamdi
We say: Al-Nassr 3-1 Al Raed
While Al Raed pulled off a massive upset on their last visit to this venue, Al-Nassr will be determined to right their wrongs from last week's cup final, and we feel the Knights of Najd will bounce back with a commanding victory in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
