Persepolis vs Al Nassr Riyadh Tips & Predictions
The first game of the group stage of the AFC Champions League for FC Persepolis from Iran and Al Nassr Riyadh from Saudi Arabia. The game kicks off on Tuesday, September 19 at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran.
Persepolis are the current champions of Iran, so they have qualified directly for the AFC Champions League group stage. Al Nassr were second in the previous season so they had to go through a qualifying round. They beat Shabab Al Ahli from Dubai, UAE (4:2). Up to minute 88 Al Ahli led the game 2:1, but in the very end of the game Al Hilal managed to score thrice to qualify for the group stage.
This was a hot summer for many clubs from Saudi Arabia. They spent a lot of money on transfers. It’s no surprise that bookmakers believe that Al Nassr are the favourites of the upcoming game. We can see it in the Persepolis vs Al Nassr Riyadh odds. You can bet on Al Nassr at 1.60-1.70, on Persepolis at around 5.10-5.25, or on a draw at 4.05-4.15.
Let’s see what’s the current form of the teams to pick the best Persepolis vs Al Nassr Riyadh tips.
Persepolis preview
The Iranian side is back to the AFC Champions League after one year of absence. They reached the quarter-finals in 2021 just to be eliminated by the future champions, Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia (0:3).
Now, Persepolis are to play in the group against another Saudi Arabian club, along with Al Duhail from Qatar and Istiqlol Dushanbe from Tajikistan.
In the Persian Gulf Pro League, Persepolis have already played four games, winning three of them and ending another one in a draw. They’ve conceded only one goal so far. Persepolis are currently second, two points behind their main rival in the struggle for the title, Sepahan.
Al Nassr Riyadh preview
The team was lucky enough to advance to the group stage, scoring three goals in the late minutes of the game versus Shabab Al Ahli from Dubai (4:2). However, that was the first game of the unbeaten series of five matches. The score of all these games is 21:4. The side, where Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané play, has scored four goals per game on average.
Al Nassr are back to the AFC Champions League after one year of absence, just like their current opponents. Ironically, Al Nassr were eliminated in 2021 by Al Hilal (1:2), only in the semi-finals.
Betting tips Persepolis vs Al Nassr Riyadh
The sides have had three head-to-head games. They first played in the 2015 AFC Champions League group stage. Al Nassr won confidently (3:0), with Persepolis winning too, but only 1:0. The third time that the clubs played was in 2020, in the semi-finals. The regular time ended in a draw (1:1), and Persepolis won on penalties.
Al Nassr are very impressive because of their winning series with many goals and the world stars that have joined the team. However, Persepolis are a very strong team for the AFC Champions League. They play on their home pitch, and it may become a problem for the Saudi Arabian side. Besides, the stars of Al Nassr used to play in some European tournaments, they’re not used to the AFC Champions League specific things. This is why, in our Persepolis vs Al Nassr Riyadh prediction, we suggest betting on the home side with handicap. We doubt they can lose this game with more than a one goal gap. Besides, we believe that they can even end this game at least in a draw. Our tip for this game is Persepolis +1 at 1.88