Saudi heavyweights Al Nassr and Al Hilal will take center stage in the final fixture of the Riyadh Season Cup. The game will serve as the last friendly during the mid-season break before the Middle Eastern sides return to regular competition. Both sides are on a red-hot streak winning their past five games. Al Nassr will be boosted by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Portuguese star set to take to the field this Thursday. However, it will be interesting to see if the Al Nassr skipper can lead his side from the front and get a win over their arch-rivals.
Al Hilal will fancy their chances heading into the fixture. The Blues ran a rough shot over Al Nassr in their previous encounter bagging a 3-0 win. Serbian star Aleksander Mitrovic was the star of the show for his team as he found the back of the net twice. His side will once again hope that the player puts on his best performance to help his side secure the bragging rights!
Al Hilal vs Al Nassr: Prediction
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While both teams have the firepower to cause some serious damage, Al Hilal will fancy their chances. The SPL table-toppers have a mental advantage over their rivals after their one-sided win during their previous encounter. The team’s defense is also back at its best, with some of the top names returning right before the fixture. With all things in consideration, Al Hilal is likely to pick up the win following a hard-fought contest.
READ MORE: “I Am Sad” – External Matters At Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Upset Boss Luis Castro
Al Hilal vs Al Nassr: Odds
Al Hilal to win: 1.75
Al Nassr to win: 2.90
Draw after 90 minutes: 2.35
Al Hilal vs Al Nassr: Team Updates
Al Hilal has received a massive boost heading into the game against Al Nassr. The game will see the likes of Yassine Bounou, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Kharim Diaw make a return to the field following international duty. While Salman Al-Faraj is available for selection, the player could be kept out of the team with the Saudi Arabian FA currently investigating the player for ditching national camp.
Luis Castro should have all his players at his disposal. However, there are doubts over Sultan Al-Ghannam’s availability with a player facing a similar fate to Salman Al-Faraj. Cristiano Ronaldo has made a complete recovery and will be in action for his side. Senegalese superstar Sadio Mane is also back from international duty and will be available for selection.
Lineups
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Al Hilal line-up: (4-2-3-1) Bono; Saud, Al Bulaihi, Koulibaly, Lodi; Milinkovic-Savic, Neves; Michael, Al Dawsari, Malcom; Mitrovic.
Al Nassr line-up: (4-2-3-1) Najjer; Boushal, Alamri, Laporte, Telles; Al Khaibari, Brozovic; Talisca, Otavio, Ghareeb; Ronaldo.
When and Where to Watch
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The clash between the two sides will kick-start at 01:00 PM (EST) from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Fans across the world can catch the live action from the game on DAZN. While Apple TV did own the rights to broadcast the Riyadh Season Cup matches, the rights were only limited to Inter Miami games.
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