Al Nassr host Al Kholood with the gap between the two clubs already wide on form, and this projected lineup suggests Ange Postecoglou sees no reason to change a winning approach.
Al Nassr come into this one on a three-match winning run. They beat Al-Faisaly 3-1 on October 23, followed a 1-0 win over Neom SC on October 20, and opened that stretch with a 3-0 win over Al Diriyah on October 9. A fourth straight win would keep them firmly in the title picture.
Al Kholood arrive in far worse shape, having lost three in a row. They fell 0-3 to Al-Ettifaq on October 24, were beaten 2-3 by Al-Faisaly on October 15, and before that suffered a heavy 0-5 defeat to Al Qadsiah on October 9. Des Buckingham needs a response just to stop the slide.
Al Nassr projected lineup
Postecoglou lines Al Nassr up in a 4-4-2 built around Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane up front, with Joao Felix and Abdullah Al-Khaibari asked to supply width and link play from midfield. Inigo Martinez anchors the back line alongside Abdulelah Al Amri, giving the side experience at the center of defense. There are no absences listed, so Postecoglou has his strongest group available to press home the advantage in form.
Al Nassr projected starting XI (4-4-2): Bento Krepski, Nawaf Al-Boushail, Abdulelah Al Amri, Inigo Martínez, Awad Aman, Joao Felix, Samu, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Sadio Mane, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Cristiano Ronaldo. Coach: Ange Postecoglou.
Al Kholood projected lineup
Buckingham sets Al Kholood up in a 4-3-3, with Coba da Costa leading the line and Julien Domingues and Gustavo Rodrigues providing support from wide areas. John Buckley and Iker Kortajarena sit in midfield to try to control possession against a stronger opponent. With no absences reported, Buckingham can pick from a full squad as he looks to end a three-game losing run.
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Al Kholood projected starting XI (4-3-3): Hamed Al-Shanqiti, Ramzi Solan, Mansour Camara, Shaquille Pinas, Sultan Al-Shahri, Iker Kortajarena, John Buckley, Gustavo Rodrigues, Yaseen Atiah Al Zubaidi, Julien Domingues, Coba da Costa. Coach: Des Buckingham.
