Al-Nassr will be aiming to extend their unbeaten start to the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League season when they travel to face Al Shabab at Al Shabab FC Stadium on Friday evening.
The Knights of Najd have drawn two and won four of their opening six matches, and are currently on a three-match winning streak.
Match preview
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Al Shabab finished in eighth place last season, a decline from their fourth-place finish in the 2022-23 season – the poor performance during the campaign led to Igor Biscan's dismissal in late December 2023 when the team was in 13th place.
Vitor Pereira was appointed in early February 2024, and his efforts helped them end the season in eighth, leaving the team with hopes of a better performance this season.
However, the White Lions lost to Al-Ettifaq in their opening league game before bouncing back to win four straight matches against Al-Khaleej, Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Taawoun, and Al-Raed.
The winning run saw Al Shabab climb into the top three, but a 1-0 defeat to Damac in their most recent match saw Pereira's side drop to fourth place with 12 points after six matches.
Next in line for the White Lions is a home match with Al-Nassr, a team they last beat in 2021. Notably, their victory against Al-Nassr that year came as hosts of this fixture.
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However, the Knight of Najd would be hoping to extend their unbeaten run in this fixture to eight matches across all competitions, having won five and drawn two of the previous seven.
Al-Nassr will be protecting another unbeaten run in this fixture, having won four and drawn two of their six league matches so far, the most recent of which was a 3-0 victory over Al Orubah.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his fifth league goal, converting from the spot to give his side the lead, before Sadio Mane grabbed a brace to wrap up the victory for Stefano Pioli's men.
Pioli, who replaced the sacked Luis Castro on September 18, has won all five matches he has managed across all competitions since taking charge of the team.
Since losing 4-1 to Al Hilal in the Super Cup on August 17, the Knight of Najd have not lost a single match across all competitions, including five away matches, two of which were in the Saudi Pro-League.
Team News
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Sami Al Najei will not feature for Al-Nassr until June 2025, as he continues to recover from a cruciate ligament injury.
Ronaldo will hope to extend his team-leading five league goals, as he is already four behind the current top scorer.
Meanwhile, Al Shabab will remain without 30-year-old winger Fahad Al-Muwallad, as he is set to continue his time on the sideline with an injury.
Yannick Carrasco, who has found the net just once for the visitors in the league this season, is expected to lead the attack once again.
Al Shabab possible starting lineup:
Kim; Cuellar, Hoedt, Renan; Al-Sibyani, Kanabah, Guanca, Al-Thani; Al-Juwayr, Carrasco, Bonaventura
Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:
Bento; Al Ghanam, Simakan, Laporte, Boushal; Brozovic, Al-Khaibari; Otavio Talisca, Mane; Ronaldo
We say: Al Shabab 0-2 Al-Nassr
Al Shabab have been consistent this season, but they have lacked clinical finishing, scoring over one goal in only one game so far, and this could be their downfall against an Al-Nassr team that boasts the third-best attack in the league and has dominated this fixture in recent years.
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