Saudi Pro League Preview: Al-Nassr Welcomes Ronaldo Back and Pioli’s Debut, While Dammam Khaleej Look to Extend Their Winning Streak at Home

On September 21 at 2 AM, the fourth round of the Saudi Pro League will see Dammam Khaleej hosting Al-Nassr, who have just undergone a managerial change. This match will be Italian manager Stefano Pioli’s debut in charge of Al-Nassr. Securing three points in his first match won’t be easy for Pioli, given that Dammam Khaleej are currently on a high, having won all three of their matches so far in the league.

In the first three rounds of the Saudi Pro League, Dammam Khaleej secured wins with a 1-0 victory over Al-Shabab Riyadh, a 1-0 win against Okaz, and a 2-1 triumph over Al-Fayha. Besides Dammam Khaleej, the other two teams that remain undefeated are Al-Ittihad Jeddah and Al-Hilal Riyadh. During this period, Dammam Khaleej’s defensive performance has been outstanding, conceding only one goal (an average of 0.33 goals per game), making them the second-best defense in the league, just behind Al-Kadisiyah (who conceded an average of 0.25 goals per game).

Compared to their defense, Dammam Khaleej’s offensive performance has been moderate. The team has scored a total of four goals so far, with three of these coming in the latter part of the second half. Dammam Khaleej’s top scorer, Moussa Dembélé, has shown excellent form since the start of the season, scoring the only goal in each of the first two league matches and providing an assist in the match against Al-Fayha, directly contributing to three goals. Given this background, Dembélé will likely face close marking from the opposition, placing greater responsibility on other players within the team to contribute offensively.

After the start of the new season, Al-Nassr’s overall performance has been less than ideal. In the final of the Saudi Super Cup, Al-Nassr suffered a 1-4 defeat to Al-Hilal Riyadh. In the first three rounds of the Saudi Pro League, Al-Nassr drew 1-1 with Al-Batin, beat Al-Fayha 4-1, and then drew 1-1 with Al-Ittihad Jeddah. In the first round of the AFC Champions League, Al-Nassr also drew 1-1 away to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in Baghdad. Due to poor results, Al-Nassr decided to change managers, with Castro leaving and former AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli taking over. This match will be Pioli’s first game in charge of Al-Nassr.

Due to Al-Nassr’s recent trip to Baghdad for an AFC Champions League match, the players will face a significant physical challenge. Cristiano Ronaldo missed the trip to Baghdad due to illness caused by a virus. However, Ronaldo has now returned to training under Pioli’s guidance and is expected to feature in the match against Dammam Khaleej. So far this season, Ronaldo has made five appearances for Al-Nassr, scoring four goals and providing two assists. Marcelo Brozović was substituted off without any contact during the match against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and missed the pre-match training session for this round of the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Nassr has scored six goals in the league so far (averaging two goals per game), making them the third-highest scoring team in the league, behind Al-Ittihad Jeddah (averaging 3.33 goals per game) and Al-Hilal Riyadh (averaging three goals per game). Additionally, three of Al-Nassr’s six goals were scored in the last fifteen minutes of the second half, while two were scored in the last fifteen minutes of the first half. This shows that Al-Nassr has strong finishing power towards the end of matches.

In terms of historical head-to-head records, out of the last 30 encounters between the two sides, Al-Nassr has recorded 15 wins, eight draws, and seven losses. In their most recent two meetings, Al-Nassr emerged victorious in both matches.

>>”>For more predictions and analysis for this match, please click >>>