Al Nassr returns to action on Wednesday, May 1, to again face Al Khaleej for the semi-finals of the King Cup of Champions. Having traveled to Saihat this Friday for their Roshn Saudi League fixture, the Knights of the Najd are now hosting their familiar rival at Al-Awwal Stadium. During this recent meet, Al Nassr registered a narrow victory at the Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Stadium, thanks to an only strike from defender Aymeric Laporta. 

This competition remains the only hope for Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. to not conclude a trophyless season. Luis Castro’s side has not only bottled the Saudi Pro League, with Al Hilal leading the race but also endured an exit from the AFC Champions League months back. Hence, the focus will be on booking a place in the finals. The winner of this eagerly anticipated rivalry redux will face the victor of another semifinal clash between Al Ittihad and Al Hilal in the finals, which will be conducted tonight.

Al Nassr vs Al Khaleej: injury report and expected lineups

Al Nassr injuries

Star player of the attack Anderson Talisca remains sidelined for the remainder of the season. The Brazilian continues to nurse his thigh injury. Additionally, veteran reserve goalie Waleed Abdullah will see the match from the stands rather than from the bench as he is also unavailable for selection. 

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Al Nassr: Expected starting XI

(3-4-2-1): David Ospina; Abdulelah Al-Amri, Aymeric Laporte, Mohammed Al-Fatil; Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Sultan Al-Ghannam; Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Otavio; Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Khaleej injuries

Al Khaleej has reported no injuries before entering the Al Nassr tie.

Al Khaleej: Expected Starting XI

(4-3-3): Ibrahim Sehic; Saeed Al Hamsal, Mohammed Al-Khabrani, Naif Masoud, Pedro Rebocho; Mansour Ibrahim Hamzi, Woo-young Jung, Ivo Rodrigues; Khaled Narey, Mohamed Sherif, Fabio Martins

Al Nassr vs Al Khaleej: head-to-head and prediction

Total matches played: 15

Won by Al Nassr: 9

Won by Al Khaleej: 1

Draw: 5

Looking at the H2H records, it’s clear that Al Khaleej doesn’t hold a very good record against the Yellow and Blue. In fact, the Riyadh side maintains an unbeaten record against the Saihat-based club in their last three encounters. Ronaldo and Co. have also secured victory against their upcoming rivals in their past five Saudi Pro League matches, including their recent narrow victory. 

On the other hand, the visitors have failed to win any of their last five league games. Considering this significant performance gap, our forecast suggests that Al Khaleej will suffer a 2-0 defeat against the hosts.

Where to watch Cristiano Ronaldo for Al Nassr vs Al Khaleej?

The match kicks off on May 1st, Wednesday, 2 pm ET. Fans in the US can catch Cristiano Ronaldo live on ESPN and FOX Sports Networks. A live stream of Al Nassr vs Al Khaleej can also be watched on Fubo.