Al Fateh vs Al Nassr is the latest match of the 3rd round of the 2023/24 Saudi Arabian League. Before the ball rolled, fans were particularly concerned about the possibility of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane playing together in Al Nassr’s attack.
Ronaldo and Sadio Mane are undoubtedly the two brightest stars in Al Nassr’s composition at the moment. CR7 joined at the start of 2023 and Sadio Mane moved to Al-Awwal Park not long ago.
The superstar who won 5 Golden Balls has been a pillar of Al Nassr. The captain born in 1985 has scored 20 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions for this club. Meanwhile, Sadio Mane has not left much of a mark. The star who used to be on the payroll of Liverpool and Bayern Munich clubs has only scored 1 goal in 7 matches.
Back to the main topic, will Ronaldo and Sadio Mane pair up in Al Nassr’s attack against Al Fateh? The answer is NO. The reason: since becoming head coach, Luis Castro has often let Al Nassr play with a 4-2-3-1 formation. In this scheme, CR7 plays the role of striker.
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Not playing the striker pair, but it is highly likely that Ronaldo and Sadio Mane will start together. Sadio Mane will be one of three players supporting the superstar who will turn 39 in February next year. The other two names in charge of supporting the promising CR7 are Otavio and Talisca.
Al Nassr have lost their first two matches of the 2/2023 Saudi Arabian league, against Al Ettifaq and Al Taawoun respectively. Therefore, Ronaldo and his teammates need a triumphal song when competing with Al Fateh if they do not want to be left behind in the title race soon.
Al Fateh vs Al Nassr Force Information
– Al Fateh: Fran Velez is yet to play again; Cristian Tello was involved in all three goals in the recent 3-3 win over Al Akhdoud.
– Al Nassr: Otavio could play his first game after moving from Porto; Alex Telles has not recovered from his injury; Aymeric Laporta has joined but is unlikely to play because he hasn’t had much training time.
Al Fateh vs Al Nassr Expected Lineup
– Al Fateh: A. Al-Yousef; Denayer, Q. Alawjami, A. Al-Zubaidi; Petros, Bendebka; Tello, Zelarayan, Batna; F. al Buraikan.
– Al Nassr: W. Abdullah; G. Konan, A. Alamri, A. Alawjami, S. Al Ghnam; Brozovic, S. Fofana; Talisca, Octavius, Sadio Mane; Ronaldo.
