Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr will look to return to winning ways, and ease the pressure at the top of the Pro League table, when they go to Al-Shabab tomorrow evening.
Their title hopes were hit by a 3-1 defeat at Al-Qadsiah at the weekend. It was one of the biggest shocks of the season as the visitors’ expensively assembled line-up was dismantled by Brendan Rodgers’ men.
It meant the end of their 20-match winning run-in all competitions and enabled Al-Hilal to reduce the deficit to the leaders to two points courtesy of last night’s 2-1 win at Al-Khaleej.
There can be no slip up against Riyadh rivals Al-Shabab tomorrow.
Coach Jorge Jesus said: “We continue to try to win this championship, with fewer and fewer games. And try to recover my team quickly. Last weekend we had a flu outbreak, with five or six players who played against Al-Ahli in difficulty.
“Against Al-Qadsiah we paid the price. But that’s it, it’s part of football, it’s part of the game. And now we have to recover the team.”
If Al-Nassr can win tomorrow then they face the possibility of going into next Tuesday’s crunch game with Al-Hilal with a five-point advantage, albeit having played a game more.
It’s a tight race and even the experienced Jesus, who has won the Pro League title before with Al-Hilal, is feeling the nerves.
“In the end, there are three games left – we are all a little more anxious,” he added. “Even me, with the experience I have, so many times winning championships and being in this situation. It’s part of it.
“Al-Nassr are playing every four days, playing with a positive emotional load – good, because we are playing to be champion – but this also leaves some scars on some players.
“At the end of 20 games, Al-Nassr lost its 20 consecutive victories: 16 in the [Pro League] and four in the [Asian] championship. We can’t win all the games. I would like us to, but we can’t.”
Al-Shabab are 13th but in no danger of going down. They have had a turbulent week, however, with their 5-1 home hammering by Al-Taawon accompanied by an on-field dispute between Abderrazak Hamdallah and Yannick Carrasco that reportedly carried on in to the dressing room.
Members of the coaching staff had to intervene to separate the warring parties with Hamdallah issued with a seven-day ban from the club that rules him out of tomorrow night’s contest.
Team news for Al-Shabab v Al-Nassr
Al-Nassr will hope to have Sadio Mane fit and available after the Senegal star missed the Al-Qadsiah game through a virus. Mohamed Simakan and Angelo are both doubts after sustaining knocks at the weekend.
Hamdallah is absent for the hosts.
Predicted line-ups for Al-Shabab v Al-Nassr
Al-Shabab: Grohe; Al-Thani, Al-Shwirekh, Al-Bulayhi, Balobaid; Al-Azaizeh, Al Asmari, Adli, Brownhill; Al-Hammami, Carrasco
Al-Nassr: Bento; Martinez, Alamri, Simakan, Boushal; Brozovic, Al-Khaibari; Mane, Felix, Coman; Ronaldo
Where to watch Al-Shabab v Al-Nassr: TV and online streams
Al-Shabab versus Al-Nassr kicks off tomorrow at 7pm UK time.
The game is not available on UK TV but can be streamed via the official Pro League YouTube channel.
Stats for Al-Shabab v Al-Nassr
- Al-Shabab have won seven of the teams’ 29 previous meetings
- Al-Nassr have averaged 2.65 goals per league game this season
- Al-Nassr won the reverse fixture 3-2 in January
