Al Hilal-Al Nassr is the final of the 2023-24 edition of the King’s Cup and is played Friday at 8 p.m.: live TV, streaming, lineups, predictions.
The appendix of Saudi soccer, just days after the end of a championship sodden by Al-Hilal, is the last act of the King’s Cup, the most important national cup. And contending for it, needless to say, are the two teams that finished first and second, respectively, in the Saudi Pro League: the newly crowned champions Al-Hilal and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.
The final of the King’s Cup of Champions – that’s the official wording – is in fact yet another seasonal derby between Riyadh’s two main (as well as richest) clubs, with CR7 and his teammates dreaming of some sort of revenge so as not to be left without a title. Al-Nassr has only managed to get the better of its cousins on one occasion: it was in the middle of August and the yellow and blue came out on top in extra time (1-2) in the match that was valid for the final of the Arab Cup, a tournament that is staged every year before the league proper. Then only victories by Al-Hilal, with the exception of the draw (1-1) that accrued in the head-to-head clash last May 17, when the troop led by Portuguese Jorge Jesus had already been crowned champions of Saudi Arabia. Despite the fact that his team came within -12 of first place, Ronaldo put up his usual impressive numbers.
On the last day, the 5-time Ballon d’Or winner scored a brace in the match with Al-Ittihad, which ended 4-2 for the Riyadh club.
There are 50 total seasonal goals scored by the former Real Madrid and Juventus striker, who in the King’s Cup final will surely try to increase the haul. On the other side, however, there is Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, another absolute striker with 28 goals scored in the Saudi Pro League.
The Prediction
Al-Hilal ended the league undefeated, proving almost “unplayable” for their opponents. Reason why Jorge Jesus’ men will be the slight favorites in a final that, in any case, seems to “interest” Al-Nassr more: the risk, in fact, is to have yet another trophy slip through their fingers. Emotions, in short, should not be lacking in the Jeddah challenge: more open match than expected – a draw in regulation time cannot be ruled out – and at least three goals in total.
The probable lineups of Al Hilal-Al Nassr
AL-HILAL (4-2-3-1): Bono; Abdulhamid, Koulibaly, Al-Bulaihi, Al-Shahrani; Ruben Neves, Milinkovic-Savic; Michael, Aldawsari, Malcom; Mitrovic.
AL-NASSR (4-2-3-1): Ospina; Al-Ghannam, Al-Amri, Lajami, Alex Telles; Al-Khaibari, Brozovic; Al-Najei, Otavio, Mané; Cristiano Ronaldo.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-2