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

Already-qualified Al-Nassr will round off their AFC Champions League Two group-stage campaign with a clash against Al Zawraa on Wednesday.

Al-Nassr are top of Group D, boasting 15 points from five matches, while Al Zawraa are second, three points ahead of third-placed Istiklol in the battle for qualification.

Match preview

Al-Nassr have not missed a step in Group D, winning all five of their matches, scoring 17 times and conceding just once, to comfortably progress into the next round of the competition.

Jorge Jesus' side played their last match in the tournament at the end of November, beating Istiklol 4-0, and the only goal that they have conceded in Group D came in a 2-1 victory over Goa on October 22.

The knockout round of the competition will start in February, and as it stands, only two teams from the West Region have qualified, Al-Nassr and Al Wasl.

Al-Nassr will enter this match off the back of a 4-2 success over Al-Wahda in a friendly on December 10, with their last Saudi Pro League contest taking place on November 23, beating Al Khaleej 4-1 to leave themselves top of the Saudi Pro League table, winning all nine of their fixtures thus far.

The Riyadh outfit will resume their Saudi Pro League season against Al Okhdood on December 27, and Jesus' side look the team to beat in the current season.

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Al Zawraa, meanwhile, are looking to hold off the threat of third-placed Istiklol to finish second in Group D behind Al-Nassr and qualify for the next round.

The Gulls have picked up nine points from their five matches to sit second, three points ahead of Istiklol, who are away to Goa on Wednesday night.

Al Zawraa are therefore in pole position to advance to the round of 16, but their spot is not certain, with a point needed against Al-Nassr to make sure.

The visitors recorded a 2-1 win over Goa in their last match in the competition at the end of November, but their attention will switch to the Iraq Stars League after this game, preparing to tackle Al Minaa on December 28.

Emad El Nahhas' side will know that they are up against it on Wednesday against a very strong outfit, but Al-Nassr could have their eyes elsewhere, which might level the playing field.

Al-Nassr AFC Champions League form:

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Al-Nassr form (all competitions):

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Al Zawraa AFC Champions League form:

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Al Zawraa form (all competitions):

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Team News

Al-Nassr are unlikely to have Cristiano Ronaldo in their squad for this match, 40-year-old not playing in the competition this season.

There will still be recognisable names in the home side's XI, though, with Joao Felix expected to be in the team, while Wesley and Marcelo Brozovic should also feature.

Al-Nassr will be missing three players through injury on Wednesday, with Sami Al-Najei, Saad Al-Nasser and Abdulmalik Al-Jaber out of the match.

Sadio Mane is also absent due to his involvement for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

As for Al Zawraa, Hasan Abdulkareem is the team's leading goalscorer this season, netting five times in all competitions, and he will feature in the final third of the field.

There should also be a spot in the XI for Mahdi Al-Humaidan, who has two goals to his name this term, while Kadhim Raad will be a notable starter at the back.

The Iraqi outfit have not reported any fresh injury concerns ahead of this match.

Al-Nassr possible starting lineup:

Bento; Al Ghannam, Simakan, Al Amri, Al Najdi; Angelo, Al Hassan, Brozovic, Wesley; Felix, Maran

Al Zawraa possible starting lineup:

Hassan; Kadhim, Jabbar, Hashem, Ismael; Bitang; Abdulkareem, Nabeel, Al Rashdan, Hamaidan; Ibrahim

We say: Al-Nassr 3-1 Al Zawraa

Al Zawraa could be made to sweat on a spot in the next round of the competition, as we are expecting Al-Nassr to run out winners on Wednesday, with the Saudi Pro League outfit a strong team, even without a certain Ronaldo in their ranks.