Al-Nassr vs Al-Ain

Riyadh’s KSU Stadium forms the backdrop for a ‘make or break’ AFC Champions League showdown between Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr and Al-Ain.

Al-Nassr’s pursuit of continental glory is in jeopardy following a narrow 1-0 first-leg loss in Abu Dhabi, with under-fire manager Luis Castro dancing on the edge of sacking after his side strung together a three-game winless run in all competitions (D1, L2). An unfathomable 3-1 home loss to Saudi Pro League minnows Al-Raed in the build-up to this fixture spelled the end of Al-Nassr’s domestic title hopes, emphasizing the importance of turning this tie on its head. But as the Knights of Najd lost their only previous home encounter against Al-Ain 1-0, progression into the semi-finals is in limbo. The hosts can draw confidence from a near-flawless home record in this season’s Champions League (W3, D1), not to mention the fact they netted 2+ goals in each victory.

In the meantime, Al-Ain followed their morale-boosting first-leg win with a shock 2-1 extra-time loss to Ittihad Kalba in the League Cup semi-finals, relinquishing arguably the most straightforward avenue to a piece of silverware this term. That defeat knocked them down from a stellar nine-game unbeaten streak across all competitions (W8, D1), marking only their second scoring blank in ten matches. Ominously, the only other failed attempt to get on the scoresheet in that sequence came in this competition, as they held Nasaf Qarshi to a scoreless draw in the first leg of their last-16 tie. However, there’s no reason for panic yet, with Hernan Crespo’s side racking up an eye-catching eight-game unbeaten run on the road (W6, D2) since a 3-1 league loss at Al-Wasl in early November. To sweeten the deal, they bagged 2+ goals on six occasions!