Al Nassr vs Al Khaleej Preview
In the semi-final match of the King’s Cup, Al Nassr and Al Khaleej will clash. The encounter will take place on Wednesday, May 1st at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh.
While Al Nassr's presence in the semi-finals of the national cup is quite expected, for Al Khaleej, reaching the final four is undoubtedly a significant achievement. Sitting at a modest 11th place in the Saudi Pro League table, the team no longer has any serious tasks for the remaining part of the championship.
On their path to the semi-finals, Al Nassr defeated the Division 1 club Ohod (5-1) in the Round of 16, narrowly defeated Al Ettifaq in extra time (1-0) in the Round of 8, and comfortably dealt with Al Shabab (5-2) in the quarter-finals.
Al Khaleej's tournament journey was much more modest: they defeated Al Adalah from Division 1 in the Round of 16, barely managed to beat Damac in a penalty shootout in the Round of 8, and snatched a victory from Abha (2-1) in the quarter-finals.
It's no surprise that the bookmakers consider Cristiano Ronaldo's team as the clear favourite for the upcoming encounter. Judging by the Al Nassr vs Al Khaleej odds, betting on the home team's victory is available at odds of 1.15-1.25. The chances of success for the guests are negligible, with bookmakers offering odds around 11.40-11.50 for such an outcome. A draw is also not expected, with odds ranging around 6.30-6.40.
Let's assess the current form of the opponents before the upcoming match and choose the most reliable option for Al Nassr vs Al Khaleej tips.
Al Nassr Preview
The club has won the national cup six times in its history, but their last trophy was lifted way back in 1990. Therefore, the motivation to end the streak of failures in the King’s Cup must be very high for the team, especially since they have been paired with a passable opponent in the semi-finals.
Al Nassr is in good form – six wins in their last eight matches across all competitions, with one draw and one loss. Their only setback was a defeat to Al Hilal in the Supercup final (1-2).
With stars like Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo in their lineup, Al Nassr is the second most prolific team in the Saudi Pro League (84 goals), only behind Al Hilal (86). In the match against Al Khaleej, the attackers from Riyadh should once again have plenty of opportunities to score.
Al Khaleej Preview
The club approaches the semi-final game with a streak of three matches without a win – one draw and two losses. However, it's worth noting that all three games were against opponents occupying top positions in the Saudi Pro League: Al Hilal (1-4), Al Taawon (1-1), and Al Nassr (0-1). By the calendar's whim, Al Khaleej will have to face Al Nassr again just four days after the league game.
Speaking of away matches, the team has quite decent statistics – only one loss in their last eight matches across all competitions (5 wins, 2 draws). Al Khaleej's only setback came in a match against Al Ahli (0-1).
Al Nassr vs Al Khaleej Betting Tips
Apart from the match last week, the teams also met in Riyadh in the first round of the Saudi Pro League, and Al Nassr won 2-0. In the history of their encounters, Al Khaleej has only beaten Al Nassr once – in September 2016 (1-0). Al Nassr emerged victorious eight times, while five matches ended in a draw.
Perhaps, the guests have no chance of a successful outcome – Al Nassr surpasses them in player quality and skill. We believe that the hosts will secure victory and advance to the final. As our Al Nassr vs Al Khaleej prediction, we suggest focusing on the number of goals scored by the hosts. Our tip for this game is Al Nassr Team Total over 2.5 goals at odds of 1.80.