Al Nassr head into a defining phase of their season with both continental and domestic ambitions intact. While the Saudi Pro League title race remains tightly contested,
Jorge Jesus' side will shift their immediate focus to the AFC Champions League Two (ACL2), where a semi-final victory against Al Ahli SC on Wednesday would move them one step closer to securing a first continental trophy in the modern era, and also end Cristiano Ronaldo's wait for a first major title with the club.
The Riyadh-based side arrive in dominant form, they're the most in-form team in Asia right now with an 18-match winning streak across competitions. Their latest outing, a commanding 4-0 win over Al Wasl in the quarter-finals, underlined their attacking control and squad depth.
Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 11th minute of that game, taking his tally with the club to 125 goals in 141 matches. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is on a relentless quest to reach 1,000-career goals, with the latest strike putting him on 969 goals, just 31 short of the historic mark.
Al Ahli SC, meanwhile, progressed with a 3-1 win over Al Hussein, with German star Julian Draxler scoring in a dominant performance. However, Al Ahli SC's domestic form has been poor, with the Doha-based club currently languishing in 9th position in the Qatar Stars League with just 23 points from 21 matches.
Al Nassr face late fitness calls over Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman, both of whom are undergoing recovery for muscle issues and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Players To Watch
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr): Relentlessly marching towards the historic 1,000-goal mark, Ronaldo remains central to Al Nassr's attacking structure. A continental title would mark a significant milestone in his stint in Saudi Arabia.
- Sadio Mane (Al Nassr): His direct running and width could be decisive, particularly if Coman is not fully fit. The Senegalese forward has nine goals and five assists in 21 matches this season.
- Julian Draxler (Al Ahli SC): The German midfielder is the primary creative outlet and a key set-piece threat for the Doha side. He has one goal and four assists from four starts in the AFC Champions League Two this season.
Predicted Lineups
- Al Nassr (4-2-3-1): Bento; Abdulelah Al-Amri, Nawaf Boushal, Iñigo Martínez, Mohamed Simakan; Marcelo Brozovic, João Félix; Sadio Mane, Kingsley Coman, Ângelo Gabriel; Cristiano Ronaldo
- Al Ahli SC Doha (4-3-3): Marwan Sherif; William Troost-Ekong, Amidou Doumbouya, Ayoub Amraoui, Robin Tihi; Ibrahima Diallo, Julian Draxler, Michel Vlap; Driss Fettouhi, Sekou Yansane, Erik Expósito
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Venue, Match Timing
The Al Nassr vs Al Ahli SC (Doha) ACL2 semi-final is scheduled to be played at the Zabeel Stadium, Dubai, from 9:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time on Wednesday.
How To Watch Live Telecast?
There is no official live telecast of the AFC Champions League Two semi-final in India.
How To Watch Live Streaming?
The match will be available for live streaming on the FanCode app and website.
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