Al-Nassr will look to make it eight straight wins when they visit the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium to hold off the Horns Al Cholood in round eight of the 2024-2025 Saudi Pro League season.

While the away side go into Friday’s match on a high, the home side need a boost having failed to win any of their most recent four games in all competitions.

Match example

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Al Nassr have started the new campaign with fire as they look for domestic and continental glory after falling short on both fronts last term Christiano Ronaldo‘s first full season at King Saud University Stadium.

After the dismissal of Luis Castro new head coach in September Stefano Pioli has won all seven of its opening matches, most recently a narrow 1-0 victory over Iranian side Esteghlal FC in Al-Nassr’s third AFC Champions League match.

Despite dominating for a long time, the Knights of Najd had to wait until the 81st minute to break the deadlock Aymeric Laportewho was on hand to convert the rebound from close range after Ronaldo’s earlier saved effort.

Just before that, Al-Nassr saw off the challenge from Al Shabab thanks to a dramatic 2-1 victory at the Al-Shabab Club Stadium on Friday when Abderrazak Hamdallah fluffed his lines from 12 yards with almost the last kick of the match.

Al-Nassr is one of two teams still undefeated after seven matches and is currently third in the league Saudi Pro League tableone point behind second-placed Al-Ittihad and a further three points behind leaders and defending champions Al-Hilal – the only team to still have a perfect record.

Securing a fifth straight league win will be the main objective for Friday’s visitors when they face an opponent who is still finding their way in the top flight since being promoted via a third-place finish in the Saudi 1st Division last time out .

It was indeed a difficult first few weeks for Al Kholood, who got the ball rolling with back-to-back defeats to Al-Ittihad and Al Riyadh before playing out an entertaining 3-3 draw against fellow newcomers Al Orubah.

Paulo Duarte‘s men eventually secured their first win at the fourth time of asking against Al Wehda, but then lost their three subsequent matches prior to a 1-1 stalemate against Al Fateh in Sunday’s encounter at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium.

Al Kholood started the proceedings energetically and took a rare lead early on Alex Collado‘s ninth-minute strike before they were pinned again in the early exchanges of the second period by Djaniny‘s equalizer.

It is now one win from seven league games for the Pride of Ar Rass, who sit just outside the drop zone on goal difference, ahead of perhaps their biggest assignment of the season so far against Al-Nassr.

Behind only Al Wehda (18) and Al Feiha (15) in terms of the number of goals conceded so far, Al Kholood (13) must address their defensive shortcomings sooner or later to have a significant chance of avoiding relegation.

Al Kholood Saudi Pro League Form:

Al-Nassr Saudi Pro League Form:

Al-Nassr form (all competitions):

Team news

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That of Al-Nassr Mohammed Simakan will not be considered for a role in Friday’s case after the defender was sent off for two bookable offenses in the win over Al Shabab.

In the absence of Simakan Mohammed Al-Fatil should be at the heart of the defense together with Aymeric Laporte Salem Alnajdi And Nawaf Boushal manning both fullback positions.

Cristiano Ronaldo will aim to find the back of the net for the fifth consecutive league match as he looks to gain an edge in what is set to be an enthralling race for the Golden Boot. Aleksandar Mitrovic And Karim Benzema.

Twenty-five-year-old Alex Collado has scored four of Al Kholood’s eight league goals this season and he will once again be heavily relied on to provide the goods at the top end of the pitch.

Nigerian defender William Troost-Ekong was given a starting start immediately after his return from international duty, maintaining his streak of being an ever-present for the home side this season.

Possible starting line-up of Al Kholood:
Grohe; Al Shamrani, Gyomber, Comfort-Ekong, Al Asmari; Dieng, N’Doram, Collado; Maolida, Muleka, Al Hammami

Possible starting line-up of Al-Nassr:
Bento; Alnajdi, Laporte, Al-Fatil, Boushal; Brozovic, Al Khaibari; Mane, Talisca, Otavio; Ronaldo

We say: Al Kholood 0-3 Al-Nassr

Al-Nassr are in imperious form at the moment and it is difficult to imagine them being denied all three points against an Al Kholood side struggling for results.

We expressly expect visitors to get the job done in a largely one-sided affair.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match, click here.

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