Al Nassr took an unexpected turn in their sporting project by appointing coach Jorge Jesus, who had come off several standout seasons at Al Hilal. Since his arrival, the team has managed to impose a very attractive style of play, putting together an unusual unbeaten run in the Saudi Pro League. Because of this, they face Al Ettifaq looking to close out the year 2025 in top form, with fans closely watching Cristiano Ronaldo’s status ahead of the match.
Having avoided injuries in recent games, Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to start for Al Nassr against Al Ettifaq. With this, the Portuguese star could look to cement himself as the team’s top scorer in the current Saudi Pro League season, as he is tied on 12 goals with João Félix. Moreover, the 40-year-old star could look to add his ninth consecutive game scoring in the league, demonstrating his impressive consistency.
While Al Nassr enter today’s match as a clear favorite, Al Ettifaq have shown that they can be a team capable of making a difference. Led by Georginio Wijnaldum and Khalid Al Ghannam, they have stood out offensively, managing to go four consecutive matches without a defeat. However, coach Saad Al-Shehri has yet to find defensive stability, with Al Ettifaq remaining one of the most heavily scored-against teams at the start of the league.
In the case of securing a victory in today’s game, coach Jorge Jesus would overcome their recent record, securing eleven consecutive victories in the Saudi Pro League. Moreover, they would also conclude 2025 with a perfect position in the league standings as leaders, surpassing the second-ranked Al Taawon by five points. With this, Cristiano Ronaldo could be near to securing his first title with Al Nassr, looking to maintain their favoritism with solid consistency in 2026.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr FC celebrates with this teammates scoring a goal.
Al Ettifaq predicted lineup vs. Al Nassr
After securing two consecutive victories, Al Ettifaq head into the match against Al Nassr in excellent form, led by Georginio Wijnaldum. With only João Costa unavailable, coach Saad Al-Shehri has his full first-choice lineup at his disposal as he looks to push for a win. As a result, stars such as Moussa Dembélé, Francisco Calvo, and Álvaro Medrán are expected to start in today’s match, hoping to make the difference offensively against Cristiano Ronaldo’s side.
see also
How to watch Al Ittifaq vs Al Nassr in the USA: Live Stream and TV for 2025/2026 Saudi Pro League
With this in mind, Al Ettifaq could line up as follows: Marek Rodak; Abdullah Khateeb, Jack Hendry, Abdulbasit Hindi, Francisco Calvo; Ondrej Duda, Alvaro Medran; Ahmed Hassan Koka, Georginio Wijnaldum, Majed Dawran; Moussa Dembélé.
Al Nassr predicted lineup vs Al Ettifaq
Unlike Al Ettifaq, Al Nassr come into today’s match with several significant absences from their usual lineup. Mohamed Simakan and Ayman Yahya will be sidelined due to injury, while Sadio Mané is unavailable as he is competing in the AFCON with Senegal. In addition, coach Jorge Jesus will be without Abdulmalik Al-Jaber and Saad Haqawi. Nevertheless, Kingsley Coman, João Félix, and Cristiano Ronaldo are all expected to start.
Considering this, Al Nassr could start as follows: Nawaf Al-Aqeedi; Sultan Al Ghanam, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Inigo Martinez, Nawaf Boushal; Wesley Gassova, Marcelo Brozovic, Ângelo, Kingsley Coman; João Félix, Cristiano Ronaldo.
