Preview: Al-Nassr vs. Damac – prediction, team news, lineups

Al-Nasr will look to return to winning ways in the Saudi Professional League when they face each other Damac at Al-Awwal Park on Friday.

Global One go into this one fresh from picking up a morale-boosting win in the AFC Champions League, while the visitors will look to secure a third win on the spin for the first time this year.

Match preview

© Imago

Al Nassr maintained their fine run of results in the AFC Champions League as they cruised to a 3-1 victory over Qatar-based outfit Al Gharafa at the Al Bayt Stadium on Monday.

In a game where Seydou Sano received his marching orders, Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed two goals in the second half and scored either side of Angelo‘s 58th minute strike to fire the Saudi team to all three points.

Since starting the campaign with a somewhat disappointing 1-1 draw against Iranian side Al Shorta on September 16, Al-Nassr have won each of their subsequent four Champions League games, scoring 11 goals and conceding three in that time.

While Stefano Pioli‘s men are riding pretty high in the Champions League and sit third in the table, they now turn their focus to the professional league where they have struggled to get results of late, picking up just one win from their last four matches .

Having won their four matches during this run, this slump has coincided with Ronaldo’s recent struggles in the league as the 37-year-old has scored just one goal in Al-Nassr’s last four Pro League matches.

Al Nassr have picked up 22 points from their 11 games in the league this season to finish third in the standingslevel on points with Al Shabab and Al Qadsiah, and eight points behind Al Ittihad in first place.

© Imago

Damac, on the other hand, picked up back-to-back wins for the first time this year as they drew Al Kholood 2-1 when the two teams finished at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium last time out.

Despite playing the last 19 minutes of normal time a man down Ramzi Sawlan took a red card, goal off Georges-Kevin N’Koudou and Farouk Chafai was enough to fire the home team to a hard-fought victory.

Before that, Damac secured their first away win of the 2024-25 campaign on November 9 when they defeated Al Wehda 2-1 at the King Abdul Aziz Stadium to end their run of six back-to-back away defeats.

Cosmin Contra‘s men have won four of their 11 league games so far, while losing five and claiming two draws to collect 14 points and sit 11th in the standings, level on points with Al Raed in 10th.

While Damac will look to make it three wins on the bounce this weekend, they go up against an opponent who has won each of their last six meetings, stretching back to a narrow 3-2 loss in April 2021.

Al-Nassr Saudi Pro League form:

Al-Nassr form (all competitions):

Damac Saudi Pro League form:

Team news

© Imago

With his brace against Al Gharafa, Ronaldo now has 911 career goals to his name and the Portuguese forward, who has seven league strikes this season, will look to deliver again.

He should form the attacking quartet with Angelo, Otavio and former Liverpool forward Sadio Manewhile Sultan Al Ghanam, Mohamed Simakan, Mohammed Al Fatil and Nawaf Al-Boushail had to regroup at the defensive end of the pitch.

As for Damac, Contra will be unable to name Sawlan this weekend as the 26-year-old forward is suspended after picking up a red card against Al Kholood last time out.

In his absence 23-year-old Hazzaa Al-Ghamdi must enter the fold forming the front three with Habib Diallo and Cameroon international N’Koudou, who boasts eight assists in his last eight games.

On the injury front, Damac remains without the midfield duo Adam Maher and 31 years old Nicolae Stanciuwho have been sidelined due to cruciate ligament and leg injuries respectively.

Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:
Crab skiing; Al Ghanam, Simakan, Al Fatil, Al-Boushail; Alkhaibari, Brozovic; Angelo, Otavio, Mane; Ronaldo

Damac possible starting line-up:
Al-Bukhari; S Mohamed, Chafai, Bedrane, Al-Enezi; T Mohamed, Fallatah, Kamano; Al-Ghamdi, Diallo, N’Koudou

We say: Al-Nassr 3-1 Damac

Damac have turned a corner in recent weeks and will go into the weekend looking for three wins from three games. However, Al Nassr go into this one buoyed by their Champions League win and we’re backing them to extend their dominance over the visitors.

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

Email previews