Out of first-tier continental football contention for next season, Al-Nassr make the trip to Al Fateh on Monday for gameweek 34 of the Saudi Pro League, aiming for maximum points to revive their top-three hopes.
The Big Yellow enter the final encounter of the campaign sitting fourth on 67 points, one adrift of third-placed Al Quadisiya and five behind Al Hilal in second, while the hosts are already assured of another season in the top flight.
Match preview
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A prestigious honour in the landscape of Saudi club football, but Al Ahli's recent AFC Champions League success has ended up complicating matters for Al-Nassr's ambitions on the continental stage.
With the Jeddah side now claiming one of the three allocated slots, only two more teams can secure their place in the AFC Champions League through a top-flight finish, leaving Stefan Pioli's side in an uncomfortable position.
Their 1-1 draw against Al Taawoun effectively extinguished any lingering hopes of qualification, and although Al-Nassr returned to winning ways with a 2-0 home victory over Al Khaleej, the result made no difference to their standing, leaving Al-Alami in danger of missing out on continental football next term altogether.
For Pioli's men to reach the AFC Champions League Two next season, they must now finish third and hope Al-Ittihad overcome Al Qadsiah in the King's Cup final later this month.
After finishing runners-up last term, the Big Yellow's campaign has failed to live up to the expectations of their passionate support, extending their title drought to six straight seasons and marking a second full year since Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival without major silverware.
The Portuguese icon attempted to appease fans with a gesture of apology following his goal last time out, having missed an earlier penalty, though he still tops the division's scoring chart with 24 goals to his name.
Despite their frustrations, Al-Nassr's frontline has delivered consistently, netting 76 times – the third-most tally in the league – but a leaky defence that has shipped 37 means Pioli's men have often needed multiple goals to edge matches, given that they have only failed to score once all season and recorded just a single 1-0 win.
Nonetheless, they should fancy their chances of taking maximum points on Monday, having recorded victory in each of their last four encounters against Al Fateh, finding the net at least twice in all of them, including a 5-0 hammering the last time the Big Yellow travelled for this fixture.
Their away form has been particularly impressive, with the side leading the division's travel table after picking up 35 points from 16 road games.
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Al Fateh, on the other hand, may have slipped to a narrow 4-3 defeat against Al Hilal in their most recent home match, but a run of three wins in their last four should offer a decent platform going into the final weekend.
That said, the decisive result for safety came on the road where Jose Gomes's men held firm for a hard-earned 1-0 victory at Damac, thanks to Mourad Batna's strike just past the hour mark.
The win brought a two-game losing streak to an end and marked their fifth success in the last nine outings, a run that has seen Al Fateh pull clear of the drop zone to sit 12th on 36 points, five clear heading into the final league encounter of the season.
For a side finishing in the bottom half, the Sons of the Palm have had their moments in attack with 44 goals scored – a return better than several sides placed above them.
However, a porous backline that has let in 59 continues to be their Achilles' heel, and it remains to be seen whether Al Fateh can hold off a free-scoring Al-Nassr side for 90 minutes.
Team News
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There has been talk that Ronaldo could temporarily link up with a side involved in the Club World Cup before returning to rejoin Al-Nassr.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner remains the league's leading marksman this season, and with a three-goal cushion at the top of the scoring charts, he will be determined to widen that gap and seal the Golden Boot.
Jhon Duran also got on the scoresheet last time out, and with momentum on his side, he has a strong case to keep his place in the starting eleven, possibly partnering Ronaldo again in a 4-4-2 system as seen in that previous outing.
Suhayb Al Zaid remains the only injury concern for Al Fateh going into Monday's clash, with the midfielder expected to be sidelined until 2026 due to a long-term knee issue.
Batna's strike last time out was his 12th of the campaign, bringing him level with Sofiane Bendebka at the summit of the scoring table, with both players no doubt eager to edge ahead.
Al Fateh possible starting lineup:
Al-Aqidi; Al Dohaim, Fernandes, Saadane; Julaydan, Youssef, Bendebka, Qasim; Batna, Vargas, Sbai
Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:
Bento; Al Ghanam, Simakan, Al-Fatil, Boushal; Yahya, Khaibari, Otavio, Mane; Duran, Ronaldo
We say: Al Fateh 1-3 Al-Nassr
Al-Nassr go into this one knowing there is no margin for error, and considering their impressive record on the road this season as well as their commanding grip on this fixture in recent years, they should have enough to come out on top, even if Al Fateh may ask a few tough questions in the final third.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
