On August 23 at 2:00 AM, the first round of the 24/25 season Saudi Pro League will see Al-Nassr host Al-Batin. The former suffered a 1-4 defeat to their city rivals Al-Hilal, missing out on the Saudi Super Cup title and are in desperate need of a win to boost morale.
Al-Nassr finished second in the league last season, unable to dethrone their city rivals Al-Hilal. In the summer transfer window, they brought in the 25-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper Bento and retained Laporte, who won the European Championship with the Spanish national team, enhancing their defensive capabilities.
Before the start of the new Saudi League season, Al-Nassr played two official matches. They beat Al-Batin 2-0 in the semi-finals of the Saudi Super Cup but suffered a bitter 1-4 loss to their city rivals Al-Hilal in the final, once again missing out on the title. Ronaldo’s absence from the award ceremony caused considerable controversy.
Ronaldo’s form has been good, however. He contributed a goal and an assist against Al-Batin, leading his team to a comfortable 2-0 victory, and he also broke the deadlock in the final against Al-Hilal. However, the performances of Mane, Talisca, and Otavio have been disappointing, coupled with a sudden collapse in defense leading to a heavy defeat.
Ronaldo’s career goal tally has now risen to 897, putting him close to the 900-goal milestone. Al-Batin is also a team that Ronaldo enjoys facing. Since joining the Saudi League in January 2023, he has scored in two out of three games against Al-Batin.
However, Al-Nassr’s recent performance can only be described as average. Due to an incomplete pre-season squad and stronger opponents, they have lost six out of their last ten matches, with two draws and two wins. In the new season, they have one win and one loss, scoring three goals and conceding four, indicating ongoing defensive issues.
Al-Batin finished eleventh in the league last season, and their squad is clearly not comparable to Al-Nassr’s. Their biggest star is Morocco’s Karim Belkavi, a 28-year-old foreign player whose value is the only one reaching 1 million euros within the team, with the total squad value being 10.88 million, while Al-Nassr’s total squad value is 150 million euros.
Al-Batin also played three friendlies before the start of the season, achieving two wins and one draw, remaining undefeated. However, the opponents were generally weak. Specifically, over the last ten matches, Al-Batin recorded three wins, four draws, and three losses, with a win rate of 30%, scoring 14 goals and conceding 12, keeping five clean sheets.
In the last ten meetings between the two teams, Al-Nassr has won seven, drawn one, and lost two, with a win rate of 70%, giving them a significant psychological advantage. However, in their last encounter last season, Al-Nassr suffered a surprising 1-3 home defeat, losing their chance for the title.
Overall, Ronaldo is in top form, and Al-Nassr has superior paper strength, but their defense is concerning, leaving Al-Batin with a chance.
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