JEDDAH: Al-Ahli and Al-Nasr face off in Riyadh today for the second leg final match in the Gulf Clubs Championship.
Ahli enters the match with a slim one-goal lead after winning the first leg, 1-0, in Jeddah last Friday.
To win the title Ahli either has to simply win or draw. A 1-0 loss would level the aggregate result and extend the game to penalty kicks.
For Nasr it has to win its home tie by a margin of at least two goals in regulation period to have any chance of clinching the crown.
Despite playing at full strength with the return from injury of its key players Ahli’s first leg performance left much to be desired.
This plus the fact that Nasr is a tough customer have the odds stacked heavily against Ahli.
Playing in front of home crowd could be a double-edged sword for Nasr. While the fans will cheer them till the end of the match Nasr players will be under great pressure to deliver more so as the clock winds down without any progress in the game.
Also, Nasr players need extra push to overturn Ahli’s 1-0 lead.
Nasr will have no other choice but to attack from the very first minute and make every moment in the match count.
Muhammad Al-Shahrani has recovered from injury and will partner Rayyan Bilal in Nasr’s striking line. Bilal is Nasr’s main striker in the absence of Saad Al-Harthy. As for Ahli coach, he advised his players to get used to Nasr pressure from the first minute. An early goal that would bury Nasr in a 2-0 hole is part of the Ahli game plan. Ahli also trained for a penalty shootout in case the match is extended.
