Date, Kick-off time, Venue
- Date- 22nd December, 2023
- Kick-off time- 08:30 PM IST
- Venue: Al-Awwal Park Stadium
Al Nassr vs Al Ettifaq Match Preview
Al-Nassr is all set to take the field against Al Ettifaq in matchday 18 of the Saudi Pro League. The two heavyweight teams have had different fates lately. On one hand, Al-Nassr sits at the second position of the league table, and on the other hand Al-Ettifaq at the eighth position of the league. Al-Nassr is coming to the match after a win against Al-Riyadh on matchday 16 of the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Nassr dismantled Al-Riyadh 4-1 at the AL-AWWAL PARK Stadium. Cristiano Ronaldo, Otavio, and Talisca scored the goals for Al-Nassr. On the other hand, Steven Gerrard’s team is coming in the back of a loss against Al-Taawoun on matchday 17 of the Saudi Pro League. Al-Taawoun defeated the Dammam-based side by a scoreline of 2-0. A. El Mahdioui and Mateus scored the goals for Al-Taawoun.
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Al Nassr vs Al Ettifaq Team News
Al-Nassr
Al-Nassr has been up and running in this season of the Saudi Pro League. With 12 wins and 43 points in 16 matches, Al-Nassr is placed comfortably in the second position of the league just behind the undefeated Al-Hilal. It would not be wrong to say that Al-Nassr seems to be the only team that can compete with the dominant Al-Hilal.
Luis Castro’s side has been clinical in the defensive block as well as in the attacking department. Besides, the Saudi Pro League Al-Nassr has been dominant in the King’s Cup too. Castro’s side won the quarterfinals on Monday beating Al-Shabab by a scoreline of 5-1. Seko Fofana, Sadio Mane, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mohammed Maran score the goals for Al-Nassr in the dominant win.
The fortune of the team has changed since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo. The former United man has completely changed the face of their attacking lineups scoring goals for fun and proving to be a constant threat for the opposition defenders. Ronaldo is well complemented by Mane and Talisca.
Al-Ettifaq FC
Things haven’t been working too well for Al-Ettifaq for the past few seasons. They have been finishing mid-table for the last three to four years. This season too, it’s no different. With 6 wins and 24 points in 17 matches, Steven Gerrard’s side is placed in the eighth position of the league. Besides the Saudi Pro League, they have also been eliminated from the King’s Cup losing to Al-Nassr in the Round of 16.
Al-Ettifaq has been really active during the transfer window and brought in some excellent talents. Demarai Gray from Everton, Jordan Henderson from Liverpool FC, Moussa Dembele from Lyon, and Georginio Wijnaldum from PSG have been the highlights of the transfer window. However, spending big bucks and rebuilding the entire attack force hasn’t changed anything for them in terms of results.
However, their transfers have been turning out well, especially Moussa Dembele and Jordan Henderson. Steven Gerrard has to make things work for the side quickly before it’s too late in the season.
Al Nassr vs Al Ettifaq Betting Tips and Odds
Betting Tips
- Al-Nassr to win the match.
- Al-Nassr to score two or more than two goals.
- Cristiano Ronaldo is to be on the scoresheet.
Odds
- Al Nassr win-1.98
- Al-Ettifaq win- 1.58
- Draw-1.88
Al Nassr vs Al Ettifaq Possible Lineups
The predicted scoreline for the match is Al Nassr 2-1 Al Ettifaq FC.
Al Nassr
- Goalkeeper- N. Alaqidi
- Defenders-A. Yahya, A. Laporte, A. Alawjami, S. Al Ghanam
- Midfielders- S. Fofana, M. Brozovic, A. Ghareeb, Otavio, S. Mane
- Forward- C. Ronaldo
Al-Ettifaq
- Goalkeeper- P. Victor
- Defenders- J. Hendry, M. Tisserand, A. Al-Khateeb
- Midfielders- R.A. Otaibi, J. Henderson, A. Hazazi, H. Al Shamrani
- Forwards- R. Quaison, M. Dembele, G. Wijnaldum
Where to watch Al Nassr vs Al Ettifaq
- India – Sony Sports Ten 2/ Sony LIV
- England- DAZN
- Germany- DAZN/ Amazon Prime/ Video ZDF
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Al Nassr vs Al Ettifaq Players to Watch Out For
Cristiano Ronaldo
For Al-Nassr, the player to watch out for is going to be Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese man has been the top scorer for Al-Nassr scoring a staggering 16 goals and 8 assists this season. Ronaldo will be the main threat to deal with for the Al-Ettifaq defenders. Apart from Ronaldo, Laporte is the player to watch out for Al-Nassr in the backline of Al-Nassr.
Moussa Dembele
For Al-Ettifaq FC the player to watch out for is possibly going to be Moussa Dembele. Dembele has been their main man in the front-line scoring seven goals and making an assist. Apart from Moussa, Jordan Henderson can be a threat for Al-Nassr in the midfield. The experienced Liverpool man is the heart of the midfield for Al-Ettifaq Fc.
The two teams have gone face-to-face 35 times. Al-Nassr won 16 while Al-Ettifaq won 10. 9 matches between the two have finished in a draw. Al-Nassr is predicted to win the match by a scoreline of 2-0, without Ronaldo scoring one of the goals for Al-Nassr.