Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad have named their starting line-ups for tonight's eagerly awaited Clasico, the standout fixture of the fifth round of the Roshn League. The stakes are high. Al-Nassr want to preserve their perfect start, while Al-Ittihad look to steady themselves and climb towards the top.
Tonight's clash poses a stern test for Al-Ittihad. Jens Wissing's side sit fifth with 8 points from their first 4 rounds, and Al-Nassr arrive second on 12 points, level with leaders Al-Hilal but behind on goal difference. Beat them, and Al-Ittihad close the gap and haul themselves back into the title race.
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Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr's striking force
Cristiano Ronaldo spearheads the Al-Nassr attack alongside Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane, with Joao Felix pulling the strings in midfield. Here is the full line-up:
In goal, Nawaf Al-Aqidi.
In defence: Nawaf Boushal, Mohamed Simakan, Abdulelah Al-Amri and Salem Al-Najdi.
In midfield: Samu Costa, Angelo Gabriel and Joao Felix.
In attack, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane.
Ange Postecoglou has plenty of options on the bench. Bento, Nader Al-Sharari, Saad Al-Nasser, Awad Aman, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Ayman Yahya, Saad Haqawi, Sami Al-Najei and Abdullah Al-Hamdan are all ready to change the shape of the game as it unfolds.
En-Nesyri out of the starting line-up
Jens Wissing sprang a surprise on the other side. The Al-Ittihad head coach dropped Youssef En-Nesyri and handed France's Georges Yenkinkhena the job of leading the line in the Clasico, a big chance for the young striker to prove himself in one of the toughest matches of the season.
Al-Ittihad line up as follows:
Rajkovic in goal.
Defensive line: Faris Abedi, Danilo Pereira, Hassan Kadesh and Al-Julaidan.
In midfield: Moataz Ali, Dion Lopy and Houssem Aouar, while the attack is led by Georges Yenkinkhena alongside Steven Bergwijn and Ahmed Al-Ghamdi.
A fifth straight win and a flawless record are what Al-Nassr chase. Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, want to lean on home advantage and their raucous crowd, trusting their new attacking recruits to end Al-Nassr's run and win back their supporters. The result could shape the title picture over the rounds to come.