Al Hilal and Al-Nassr set to battle for Saudi Pro League supremacy
The biggest game of the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League season so far takes place in Saudi Arabia’s capital on Friday night as leader Al Hilal take on second-placed Al-Nassr in what is set to be an electric Riyadh derby.
Al Arabiya English previews the clash between these two historic rivals.
The context
Al Hilal has been an absolute juggernaut this season, winning 12 of 14 Saudi Pro League games to take a four-point lead over Al-Nassr at the top of the table.
The last time Jorge Jesus’ side dropped points in the league was in a 1-1 draw with Damac on September 21, and they have been unbeaten in 21 games across all competitions since losing the Arab Champions Cup final to Al-Nassr in August.
That was a particularly sweet victory for Al-Nassr, who won the trophy for the first time thanks to a 3-1 victory, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a brace at King Fahd Stadium in Taif, Morocco. Al-Nassr has lived for a long time in the shadow of Al Hilal, whose record haul of 18 Saudi Pro League titles doubles that of their Riyadh neighbors and Al Ittihad – Saudi Arabia’s joint-second most successful clubs.
But the power dynamic changed in the Saudi capital when Al-Nassr signed Portuguese superstar Ronaldo in a transfer that sent shockwaves through the football world. Now, fans across the globe can be seen wearing Al-Nassr shirts, staying loyal to Ronaldo and creating a remarkable new reach for the club. Determined not to be outdone, Al Hilal also made a marquee signing – bringing in Brazilian icon Neymar this summer.
However, while Ronaldo had, and continues to have, a significant positive impact on Al-Nassr, Neymar flattered to deceive in his first few games for Al Hilal and is now out of action for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Ronaldo is the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer with 15 goals so far, and his partnership with Brazilian forward Talisca has been particularly potent for Luis Castro’s side. Al Hilal has also been in fine scoring form, with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Malcom and Salem Al-Dawsari collecting more goals between them (27) than 16 of the division’s 18 sides have managed this season.
Both clubs are fighting on three fronts, having made it through their respective AFC Champions League groups and also progressed to the King’s Cup quarter-finals; with the quality of players on display and the superb recent form of both teams, this is the most keenly anticipated Riyadh derby in years and promises to be a compelling spectacle. Al Hilal leads the way right now, but this is a golden opportunity for Al-Nassr players to show their title credentials and close the gap.
The managers
Jorge Jesus is a supremely experienced presence in the Al Hilal dugout. The silver-haired tactician has had an extraordinary managerial career that has not only taken on three continents but delivered success in each. A three-time Portuguese league winner with Benfica and continental champion in South America with Brazilian club Flamengo, Jesus has won a host of other trophies – including the Saudi Super Cup in his first spell in charge of Al Hilal in 2018. Contractual disagreements led to an early exit from the Saudi giants after just 20 matches, but the Al Hilal fans welcomed his return this July, and he has already shown his quality – guiding the club to the top of the Saudi Pro League table and into the knockout rounds of the AFC Champions League.
On Friday, Jesus faces compatriot Luis Castro, whose first match against Al Hilal as Al-Nassr boss saw him land his maiden trophy with the club in the Arab Club Champions Cup final. The Portuguese coach has quickly settled into life in the Kingdom and Al-Nassr players have performed impressively under his stewardship. Notably, he has forged a good relationship with Ronaldo, and his countryman has continued to be Al-Nassr’s talisman. While the Arab Champions Cup was a morale-boosting feather in the cap for Castro, a league win bringing Nassr closer to the current champions-elect will unquestionably be his biggest result.
The key battle: Kalidou Koulibaly vs Cristiano Ronaldo
Al Hilal has been irresistible in attack this season but also imperious in defense. Kalidou Koulibaly has played a vital role in steadying the ship, bringing solidity and assuredness to Al Hilal’s backline since arriving from Chelsea this summer, with his side conceding just eight league goals so far. Three of those came in the 4-3 victory over Al Ittihad, the only game so far in which Koulibaly has looked somewhat shaky. Against Al-Nassr, he comes up against a player in Ronaldo, who he has historically struggled to keep quiet.
Ronaldo scored twice in the Arab Champions Cup final in August and also bested Koulibaly when the pair played together in Italy; Ronaldo netted in both a 2-1 victory over Koulibaly’s Napoli and a 4-3 victory in which the Senegal captain also scored an own goal.
Koulibaly is now more experienced. It will be intriguing to see if he can stifle Ronaldo, who has scored in 11 of his 14 Saudi Pro League games this season; only Al Taawoun, Abha and Al Fayha have managed to nullify his threat thus far.
The prediction
Although it is still early in the season, this is unquestionably a high-stakes match; both teams love to attack, and the atmosphere at a capacity King Fahd International Stadium should set the scene for an entertaining game. A high-scoring draw could be on the cards.
