Preview: Al-Nassr vs Al Shabab - prediction, team news, lineups

Al-Nassr and Al-Shabab meet at a pivotal point in the Roshn Saudi League season at the Al-Awwal Park on Saturday, with both sides entering the fixture under contrasting pressures as the campaign moves deeper into its decisive phase.

While the hosts are attempting to arrest a recent dip in form after a dominant start to the season, the visitors arrive searching for momentum in a battle to pull clear of the relegation places.

Match preview

Al-Nassr have been among the standout performers of the 2025–26 Roshn Saudi League, establishing themselves as early title contenders with a historic start that saw them win their opening 10 league matches, becoming the first club in Saudi Pro League history to achieve such a feat and surpassing Al-Hilal’s 2018–19 benchmark.

That flawless run was built on a blend of attacking firepower and defensive discipline, with goals flowing freely while concessions were kept to a minimum, and Cristiano Ronaldo playing a pivotal role throughout by consistently delivering decisive moments and leading the side during their unbeaten surge.

However, momentum has stalled since the turn of the year, with Jorge Jesus’s men currently without a win in their last four competitive outings, including Monday’s 3–1 defeat to rivals Al-Hilal where Ronaldo opened the scoring early before three second-half goals saw Al-Nassr undone.

That setback left Al-Nassr seven points adrift of the league leaders, who remain unbeaten with 38 points from 14 matches, while discipline has also emerged as a concern with two red cards in the last three matches adding to an earlier dismissal against Al-Ahli in October and defensively, Al-Nassr have conceded a league-high six penalties and kept just two clean sheets all season, the most recent in Matchweek 3 against Al-Fayha.

Despite recent struggles, history favours Al-Alami in this fixture, having faced Al-Shabab 79 times with 31 wins, 21 draws and 27 defeats, remaining unbeaten in the last eight meetings with six wins and two draws, including a 2–2 draw at Al-Awwal Park in March.

Al-Shabab have endured a far more difficult 2025–26 campaign, spending much of the season hovering near the relegation zone with 11 points from 14 matches, just two points above the bottom three and a stark contrast to their usual status as continental qualification contenders.

Wins have been hard to come by for the capital club, with their only league victory prior to Matchweek 14 arriving in Matchweek 2 against Al-Hazem, leaving them with a solitary success across the opening months of the season.

That drought ended on Wednesday when the White Lions edged NEOM Sports Club 3–2 at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium, with Yannick Carrasco standing out by contributing two goals and an assist to provide a crucial confidence boost for Imanol Alguacil’s side.

Nevertheless, discipline remains a recurring issue, with Al-Shabab frequently reduced to nine men and ranking among the league’s worst offenders for red cards, including four dismissals in their last two matches against Al-Fateh and Al-Taawoun and another sending-off against Al-Ahli in October.

Defensively, their record offers some encouragement compared to fellow strugglers, having conceded 22 goals — relatively modest for the bottom half — but this has been offset by conceding the most penalties in the league, also six, while clean sheets have been scarce, with only two recorded all season, the latest in Matchweek 3 against Al-Fayha.

At the other end, goals have been equally elusive for Imanol Alguacil’s team, with just 12 scored in 14 league matches, one of the lowest totals in the division, and prior to the win over NEOM, the team had suffered four consecutive defeats, including a damaging loss to Al-Taawoun, making the recent victory only their second league win of the season but potentially vital for building momentum in the weeks ahead.

Al-Nassr Saudi Pro League form:

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Al-Nassr form (all competitions):

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Al Shabab Saudi Pro League form:

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Team News

Al-Nassr will be without several key players for Saturday’s clash following a difficult night in their recent defeat to Al-Hilal, which has left the squad managing multiple absences.

Goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aqidi was sent off shortly after the hour mark against Al-Hilal for an incident in which his outstretched arm appeared to catch Ruben Neves in the face, and he will serve a suspension, having been replaced during the match by Mubarak Al Buaninain, while defender Nawaf Boushal and midfielder Marcelo Brozovic are also sidelined due to suspensions.

Sadio Mane is another notable absentee for Al-Nassr, as the Senegal international is away on international duty representing the Lions of Teranga in Morocco, where he helped guide his country to another Africa Cup of Nations final.

In addition, Mohamed Simakan remains sidelined with a muscle injury he sustain on Monday, while Sami Al-Najei continues his long-term recovery from a knee problem, having last featured for the club in August, although Ronaldo remains available and is expected to lead the line again after extending his season tally to 15 goals in the loss to Al-Hilal.

Al-Shabab also arrive with significant selection issues of their own, with Mohammed Harbush ruled out with a cruciate ligament injury, and Abdullah Matuq, Mohammed Al Shwirekh and Ali Makki all unavailable due to suspensions following red cards in recent matches.

There is, however, positive news for Al-Shabab as striker Abderrazak Hamdallah is expected to return to contention following his involvement with Morocco at the 2025 Arab Cup, while captain Carrasco will once again be central to the team’s attacking hopes after scoring seven goals this season, including both strikes in Wednesday’s victory over NEOM.

Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:

Al Buaninain; Boushal, Al-Hassan, Martinez, Yahya; Al-Khaibari, Ghareeb, Angelo; Coman, Felix, Ronaldo

Al Shabab possible starting lineup:

Grohe; Al-Thani, Brownhill, Hoedt, Balobaid; Adli, Sierro, Hernandez; Carrasco, Al-Hammami, Hamdallah

We say: Al-Nassr 4-2 Al Shabab

Al-Nassr head into the contest struggling for form, a situation Al-Shabab will view as an opportunity to challenge the recent dominance their opponents have enjoyed in this fixture and believe there is a genuine chance to secure a positive result if they can capitalise on the hosts’ recent difficulties.

Despite those concerns, Al-Nassr still possess significant attacking quality capable of troubling any defence, with Ronaldo and Felix expected to play key roles and potentially add to their goal tallies this season, meaning that while the match may be far from straightforward, the final scoreline could ultimately suggest a more comfortable outcome for the hosts than the contest itself might indicate.

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