Al-Ittihad vs Al-Nasr. Who will win in the battle between Benzema and Ronaldo?
On Tuesday, December 26, at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, a match between the teams Al-Ittihad and Al-Nasr will take place as part of the 17th round of the Saudi Arabian League.
The problematic season of the reigning champion Saudi Arabia continues. Al-Ittihad, after an unsuccessful performance at the home Club World Championship, where Marcelo Gallardo's team lost in the quarterfinals to the Egyptian Al-Ahly with a score of 1:3, was defeated with exactly the same score in the national championship. Moreover, Benzema and company played against a far from strong opponent - Al-Raed, who at the start of the match occupied the penultimate place in the championship.
But even such an opponent was able to cause Al-Ittihad a lot of problems - after defender Al-Olayan was sent off in the 12th minute, the favorite became unstuck and allowed the underdog to score three goals, responding to them with only one goal from Romarinho. Benzema remained silent in this match and was replaced in the middle of the second half.
Will management again look for the culprit behind the failure on the coaching bench? Most likely, Gallardo will be allowed to work for now. But now the result of the match against Al-Nassr becomes critically important. After all, the champion has already dropped to sixth place in the standings and is 22 points behind the leader. And in the event of a defeat from Ronaldo and company, Benzema’s team risks letting the holder of the second line fall into the abyss.
Al-Nasr
Cristiano and company seem to have finally returned to fighting shape after their failure in the battle with Al-Hilal. After it, Al-Nassr won three victories in a row in the championship and national cup, and in all these matches Luis Castro's charges scored a lot. Al-Riyadh were beaten 4:1, Al-Shabab were defeated in the cup with a score of 5:2, and the most recent big result was recorded in the match against Al-Ittifaq - 3:1.
Ronaldo scored in each of the three matches mentioned and already has 51 goals to his name in the calendar year. Only Bayern's Harry Kane and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe have scored more goals than the Portuguese star - they have 52 goals each. And Cristiano probably expects to beat the Englishman and the Frenchman in the remaining two fights in 2023. This is the additional intrigue in this and the next Al-Nasr match.
However, the team's main goal is still to pursue the leader in the championship. Al-Hilal stubbornly refuses to give Al-Nasr a chance and maintains a 10-point lead. A victory in the rescheduled match with the current champion will allow Castro's team to make the gap at least not double-digit. And the opponent’s form allows the favorite to count on success.
Therefore, it seems to us that a total of more than 3 goals for exactly 1.65 is a logical and correct option for betting on the upcoming confrontation. But those who want to try their luck at a larger odds can also win a total of more than 3.5 for 2.08. Also, before the match, you can pay attention to quotes regarding Ronaldo’s performance - his goal, or even more than 1.5 goals. The Portuguese really wants to become the top scorer of the calendar year, and the team can help Cristiano achieve his goal.
Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Al-Ittihad vs Al-Nasr
Al-IttihadThe problematic season of the reigning champion Saudi Arabia continues. Al-Ittihad, after an unsuccessful performance at the home Club World Championship, where Marcelo Gallardo's team lost in the quarterfinals to the Egyptian Al-Ahly with a score of 1:3, was defeated with exactly the same score in the national championship. Moreover, Benzema and company played against a far from strong opponent - Al-Raed, who at the start of the match occupied the penultimate place in the championship.
But even such an opponent was able to cause Al-Ittihad a lot of problems - after defender Al-Olayan was sent off in the 12th minute, the favorite became unstuck and allowed the underdog to score three goals, responding to them with only one goal from Romarinho. Benzema remained silent in this match and was replaced in the middle of the second half.
Will management again look for the culprit behind the failure on the coaching bench? Most likely, Gallardo will be allowed to work for now. But now the result of the match against Al-Nassr becomes critically important. After all, the champion has already dropped to sixth place in the standings and is 22 points behind the leader. And in the event of a defeat from Ronaldo and company, Benzema’s team risks letting the holder of the second line fall into the abyss.
Al-Nasr
Cristiano and company seem to have finally returned to fighting shape after their failure in the battle with Al-Hilal. After it, Al-Nassr won three victories in a row in the championship and national cup, and in all these matches Luis Castro's charges scored a lot. Al-Riyadh were beaten 4:1, Al-Shabab were defeated in the cup with a score of 5:2, and the most recent big result was recorded in the match against Al-Ittifaq - 3:1.
Ronaldo scored in each of the three matches mentioned and already has 51 goals to his name in the calendar year. Only Bayern's Harry Kane and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe have scored more goals than the Portuguese star - they have 52 goals each. And Cristiano probably expects to beat the Englishman and the Frenchman in the remaining two fights in 2023. This is the additional intrigue in this and the next Al-Nasr match.
However, the team's main goal is still to pursue the leader in the championship. Al-Hilal stubbornly refuses to give Al-Nasr a chance and maintains a 10-point lead. A victory in the rescheduled match with the current champion will allow Castro's team to make the gap at least not double-digit. And the opponent’s form allows the favorite to count on success.
Al-Ittihad vs Al-Nasr facts
- Al-Ittihad won only one of the last 4 matches in the championship (with 2 defeats in a row)
- Al Ittihad conceded goals in the last 9 league matches in a row
- Al-Nasr have scored at least 3 goals in 4 of their last 5 matches in the Saudi League
- At the same time, Al-Nasr conceded goals in 4 of the last 5 championship matches
Odds from download 1xbet
In the 1xbet bookmaker, the Al-Nasr team is considered the favorite in the Saudi Arabian championship match. They offer to bet on the guests' victory with odds of 1.45. The probability of Al-Ittihad's victory is estimated at odds of 5.70, and betting on a draw can be made with odds of 4.65. Download 1xbet to your phone and place a bet on the favorite!Game Totals Prediction
The status battle between two teams with star leaders and former Real Madrid teammates - Ronaldo and Benzema - should turn out to be spectacular. And the main guarantee of this must be the weak play of both teams in defense. Both Al-Ittihad and Al-Nasr concede goals regularly, and it would be strange if in a head-to-head battle their defenses somehow miraculously improved.Therefore, it seems to us that a total of more than 3 goals for exactly 1.65 is a logical and correct option for betting on the upcoming confrontation. But those who want to try their luck at a larger odds can also win a total of more than 3.5 for 2.08. Also, before the match, you can pay attention to quotes regarding Ronaldo’s performance - his goal, or even more than 1.5 goals. The Portuguese really wants to become the top scorer of the calendar year, and the team can help Cristiano achieve his goal.
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