Wetin dey happen for Saudi Pro League today? Top of the table Al Nassr go face bottom-placed Al Najma for King Saud University Stadium. The big news na say Cristiano Ronaldo don return to the starting lineup after missing four matches because of hamstring injury. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner also miss Portugal games for March international break. Al Nassr dey lead the league with 87 points, three points ahead of Al Hilal wey dey second place.
For Al Nassr side, dem get some key players wey no dey available. Goalkeeper Mubarak Al-Buainain dey injured for knee, defender Inigo Martinez and winger Kingsley Coman dey with hamstring problems. Midfielder Sami Al-Najei dey out with knee injury, while forward Joao Felix dey suspended. Felix get 15 goals and 11 assists for this season. Al Nassr starting XI include Bento Matheus, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Mohamed Simakan, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Saad Al-Nasser, Marcelo Brozovic, Angelo Gabriel, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Sadio Mane, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al Najma dey face serious relegation wahala. Dem win automatic promotion from First Division last season but now dey 14 points from safety. Dem appoint Serbian-British coach Nestor El Maestro for February to try escape relegation. Left-back Mohammed Al-Kunaydiri go miss the rest of the season with knee injury. Al Najma starting XI na Victor Braga, Vitor Vargas, Samir Caetano, Nasser Al-Haleel, Majed Dawran, Rakan Al-Tulayhi, Abdullah Hawsawi, David Tijanic, Felippe Cardoso, Nabil Emad, and Mohammed Al-Aqal.
The match go kick off at 19:00 GMT (14:00 ET / 11:00 PT) on Friday. For UK, Saudi Pro League YouTube channel go show the match. For US, FOX Sports na the official broadcaster. For Nigeria, Star Times App and Sporty TV go carry the match live.
Stats show say this na only second-ever meeting between the two teams. Al-Nassr record their largest win of the season when dem visit Al Najma on February 25, winning 5-0 with goals from Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Coman, Martinez and Ali Al-Hassan. Al-Nassr don keep clean sheet for 11 of their last 12 games for all competitions. Dem no concede for any of their last four home league matches, spanning more than seven hours of football.
Ronaldo most recent appearance for Al-Nassr, for 3-1 win at Al-Fayha, na the first time for five league appearances wey the 41-year-old no score. Before that match, he contribute five goals and one assist across four games. Sadio Mane dey aim to score for third straight outing for Al-Nassr.
Al-Najma don spend the entire season at the foot of the table. Dem get only one win for the campaign under El Maestro on February 14, beating Al-Kholood 2-1 at home through goals by Felippe and former Marseille winger Bilal Boutobba. Since that win, dem lose five consecutive matches and never score more than once for any game. Total goals dem concede for those five matches na 19-3.
That victory over Al-Kholood na the only time Al-Najma score more than once for their last 13 matches. Dem fail to net for five occasions during that period. Only second-bottom Al-Akhdoud (22) score fewer goals this season than Al-Najma (23). Their total of 61 goals conceded na the worst for the division. Al-Akhdoud concede 57, with no other teams ship more than 49 before Friday’s fixtures.
Al Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus talk say dem no want to risk Ronaldo, prioritizing his full recovery. He stress say the team must stay focused to remain at the top, treating the match seriously despite being favorites. Al Najma coach Mário Silva message na say dem must stay organized and minimize defensive mistakes against stronger opponent.
Al Nassr dey on 12-game winning streak for Saudi Pro League wey start on January 17, 2026. Their last home game na against Neom SC where dem win 1-0 with last-minute goal from Mohamed Simakan. Previous match dem defeat Al Khaleej 5-0 away from home. Al Najma only get one win after 26 league matches this season and dey on five-game losing streak. Their previous match na 1-3 loss to Damac FC.
The match go hold at King Saud University Stadium wey get capacity of 25,000 spectators. The venue don host major sporting events like Saudi Pro League matches, AFC Champions League games, and international friendlies since dem inaugurate am for 2015.
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