Al Nassr will look to extend their winning streak to five matches when they host rivals Al Ittihad on Friday evening at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh, in the headline fixture of Matchday 21 of the Saudi Pro League.
The fixture renews one of the league’s most storied rivalries. Since the launch of the Saudi Pro League in its current format in the 2008–2009 season, the two sides have met 35 times.
Al Nassr have claimed 14 victories, compared to 12 wins for Al Ittihad, while nine matches ended in draws.
Al Nassr have scored 59 goals in those encounters, with Al Ittihad netting 48.
Al Nassr will head into the match in second place with 46 points, having recorded 15 wins, one draw, and three defeats so far this season.
Despite dealing with several injury absences in recent weeks, the team has maintained momentum and continues to apply pressure on the league leaders.
Al Ittihad, meanwhile, arrive in Riyadh sitting sixth in the standings with 34 points from 10 wins, four draws, and five defeats.
In the same context, Cristiano Ronaldo’s frustration with Al Nassr’s ownership continues to escalate, following the club’s failure to reinforce the squad during the winter transfer window, according to reports in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiyah revealed that all attempts to persuade the Portuguese star to take part in Friday’s Saudi Pro League clash against Al Ittihad have failed, with Ronaldo maintaining his decision not to play.
The report stated that intensive efforts were made over the past few hours to convince Ronaldo to reverse his stance, but without success, as his anger toward the club’s hierarchy remains unresolved.
In a further development, Al Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus is said to be standing in solidarity with his compatriot.
The Portuguese coach is reportedly considering skipping the post-match press conference following the Al Ittihad encounter as a form of protest against the club’s owners.
Jesus had already been absent from the press conference after Al Nassr’s previous league match against Al Riyadh and did not hold a pre-match media briefing ahead of the Al Ittihad fixture.
Ronaldo had also opted out of Al Nassr’s last match against Al Riyadh, amid reports linking his dissatisfaction to the way the Saudi Public Investment Fund has managed the club, particularly regarding transfer activity.
The situation adds another layer of tension ahead of one of the Saudi Pro League’s marquee fixtures, with uncertainty now surrounding both Ronaldo’s involvement on the pitch and the club’s stance off it.
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