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Al Taawoun will square off against Al Nassr at Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final on Wednesday. Al-Alami were eliminated from the final four last season while Al Dhiaab are back in the competition after a five-year gap.
Al Taawoun finished fourth in the league table last season, while the capital club finished second behind Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal, who play Al Ahli in the second semi-final on Tuesday.
Al Dhiaab played just one game during pre-season, suffering a 2-0 loss to Zorya. The capital club, meanwhile, endured a winless run during pre-season, suffering back-to-back defeats. In their previous outing, they fell to a 3-0 loss to Almeria last week.
Al Taawoun vs Al Nassr Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have met 34 times in all competitions thus far. As expected, the capital club have the upper hand in these meetings with 24 wins. Al Taawoun have six wins and four games have ended in draws.
- They have met just once in the Super Cup, which Al-Alami won 5-4 on penalties.
- Al-Alami have suffered defeats in their last two appearances in the Super Cup, scoring one goal in both games.
- Al Nassr have suffered just one loss in their last nine competitive games, with that loss coming against Al Hilal on penalties in the King Cup final in May.
- The last 19 meetings between the two teams have produced conclusive results with 13 wins for the capital club.
- Al-Alami have failed to score in two of their last four meetings against Al Dhiaab.
Al Taawoun vs Al Nassr Prediction
The Wolves concluded last season on a positive note, suffering just one loss in their last 11 games. They registered five wins in that period while keeping seven clean sheets.
Faris Najd head into the match after suffering three consecutive defeats in pre-season and will look to improve upon that record. Cristiano Ronaldo did not play during pre-season but has been named in the squad and is expected to start here. Luis Castro is also expected to give new signing Bento a start in this match.
Both teams will play their first competitive match of the season and might be a bit rusty. Nonetheless, considering the capital club's dominance in this fixture and better squad quality, Al-Alami are expected to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Al Taawoun 1-2 Al Nassr
Al Taawoun vs Al Nassr Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Al Nassr to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Sadio Mane to score or assist any time - Yes
