Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr will look to take a step toward winning their first piece of silverware this season when they take on Al Hilal in the semi-final of the Saudi Super Cup. The tournament represents a realistic chance of cup success for Al Nassr, having been knocked out of the AFC Champions League and trailing Al Hilal by 12 points in the league.
Having not lost a single game this season yet, Al Hilal will present more than a formidable challenge for Luis Castro’s side. Still, the team in blue will be without one big name for this key clash which could help Al Nassr inflict their first defeat of the season. Ahead of this mouth-watering clash, let us take a look at the injury reports, confirmed lineups, and how you can catch all the action.
Al Nassr vs. Al Hilal: All you need to know
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Injury updates
Al Nassr: The Knights of Najd are facing a major injury crisis this season. Despite the return of a few players like David Ospina, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, and Sultan Ghannam, the team has lost other important players. Anderson Talisca is ruled out for almost the entire season with a thigh injury. Goalkeeper goalie Waleed Abdullah is also out with an injury and is expected to return this month. Additionally, their loanee defender Aziz Behich has been suffering from a calf injury since last month and will miss tomorrow’s game along with their midfielder Sami Al Naji was injured in the 1-0 win over Damac.
Al Hilal: The most successful team from Asia is #1 on the table thanks to Alexandar Mitrovic. But sadly for Al Hilal, the player is ruled out for six weeks due to a hamstring injury. Mitrovic has carried the burden of the team which already lost Neymar due to ACL injury. Scoring a thunderous 33 goals in 36 games with 8 assists, Jorge Jesus’ team could have a huge void in their attack. The rest of the team is ready to go.
Confirmed Lineups
Al Nassr: (3-4-2-1) David Ospina; Ali Lajmi, Al Fatil, Aymeric Laporte; Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic, Abdullah Al Khaibari, Al-Ghanam; Otavio, Sadio Mané; Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al Hilal: (4-2-3-1) Yassine Bono; Ali Al-Bulaihi, Kalidou Koulibaly, Al-Shahrani, Saud Abdulhamid; Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinković-Savic; Michael, Malcom, Salem Al-Dawsari; Abdullah Al-Hamdan.
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Prediction and Odds
Al Hilal has been a force to reckon with this season. Despite losing Mitrovic, players like Milinkovic-Savic and Al Dawsari are known to make an impact along with Malcom. However, Al Nassr with a recent goalscoring stint from Ronaldo will fancy their chances. But with the form Al Hilal is in they are expected to get the better of Ronaldo’s team.
Al Hilal have won their last five games including a 2-0 AFC Champions League win in the quarter-finals over Al Ittihad. On the other hand, Al Nassr have won four out of their last five games which included a staggering 8-0 win over Abha in the Saudi Pro League. Ronaldo’s team has scored an astonishing 19 goals in this time period, with the Portuguese star netting 8 times. However, they did suffer an agonizing exit from the AFC Champions League at the hands of UAE Pro League side Al Ain.
Al Nassr lost 3-1 on penalties after having won a thrilling second leg 4-3 to level the aggregate score to 4-4. Al Hilal will be keen on keeping their unbeaten run as they eye a historic treble. Ronaldo will have to be at his best if he has to stop that from happening. The two teams have met twice this season with Al Hilal coming out on top on both occasions. Al Hilal beat their rivals 3-0 in the league on December 1 last year and then 2-0 to win the Riyadh Season Cup on February 8.
Odds
Al Hilal win: 2.00
Draw: 3.40
Al Nassr win: 3.50
Expected Score: Al Hilal 2-1 Al Nassr
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Where and how to watch Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Super Cup semifinal
The semifinal of the Saudi Super Cup between Al Nassr and Al Hilal will be played at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on 8th April 2024. The match will kick off at 1530hrs ET/1230hrs PST and the streaming can be viewed on Shahid. Fans in the US can also catch the game on Fox Sports 2.
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With the season coming to a decisive stage Al Hilal is already looking at multiple trophies. With the league title almost in the bag, the club also looks favorite to win the AFC Champions League. Nevertheless, Ronaldo and Al Nassr will look to salvage at least two available trophies and deny Al Hilal a potential treble.
Apart from the Saudi Super Cup, Al Nassr are also in contention for the King’s Cup. They will face Al Khaleej on May 1 in the semi-final with Al Hilal taking on Al Ittihad in the other last-four clash.
