Al Fateh v Al Nassr preview
Al-Nassr can reduce Al-Hilal’s lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League to a point when they visit Al-Fateh on Saturday in a game that looks set to be dominated by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo for the away side.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo is likely to return for the first time in four matches, having signalled his discontent at the club’s lack of transfer activity before the Saudi transfer window closed.
Head coach Jorge Jesus’s future also remains in doubt, with the Portuguese out of contract at the end of the season and missing numerous press conferences since the saga began.
If Ronaldo is to return in style, the record scorer in men’s footballing history is likely to have to help break down an Al-Fateh side in a low block with a knack for counter-attacking effectively.
Al-Fateh also have a Portuguese leader in Jose Gomes, whose side suffered a 9-0 defeat in his second match in charge to Jesus’s Al-Hilal in 2024.
While that remains the heaviest defeat of Gomes’ managerial career, Al-Fateh have a respectable record this season of six wins and eight defeats from 20 league matches, including a 2-1 victory over Al-Hilal in November.
They are winless in six matches but drew their most recent at fourth-placed Al-Qadsiah on February 7, when winger Matias Vargas scored his sixth league goal of the campaign to take his tally to eight overall.
A surprise victory would lift Al-Fateh above Al-Khaleej to ninth and keep Al-Nassr third, a point behind Al-Ahli.
Al Fateh v Al Nassr team news
Mourad Batna has scored four goals this season but the Al-Fateh winger has not featured since sustaining an injury in their 1–1 draw at home to Al Hazem on February 1.
That could give 21-year-old Wesley Delgado a chance to shine, while 34-year-old former Morocco centre-back or defensive midfielder Marwane Saadane could be crucial if the underdogs are to earn a first clean sheet in eight matches.
Striker Fahad Al-Zubaidi is on loan from Al-Nassr but is expected to play.
Attacking midfielder Sami Al-Najei and forward Saad Haqawi are doubts for Al-Nassr, for whom Ronaldo has scored 17 league goals this season.
That puts the 41-year-old third in that respect behind Al-Qadsiah’s Julian Quinones (18) and former England striker Ivan Toney (19), of Al-Ahli.
Influential defender Mohamed Simakan has returned to full fitness.
Al Fateh v Al Nassr predicted line ups
Al Fateh starting XI: Fernando Pacheco, Saeed Baattia, Jorge Fernandes, Marwane Saadane, Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem, Zaydou Youssouf, Naif Masoud, Fahad Al-Zubaidi, Sofiane Bendebka, Wesley Delgado, Matias Vargas
Al Nassr starting XI: Bento, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Mohamed Simakan, Inigo Martinez, Salem Al-Najdi, Marcelo Brozovic, Angelo Gabriel, Kingsley Coman, Joao Felix, Sadio Mane, Cristiano Ronaldo
How to watch Al Fateh v Al Nassr: TV channel, live online stream
Kick-off on Saturday is at 17:30 GMT (12:30 ET / 09:30 PT). In the UK, the Saudi top-flight broadcast channel is the Saudi Pro League YouTube channel.
In the US, FOX Sports are the Saudi Pro League live broadcasters.
Al Fateh v Al Nassr stats
- Al-Fateh have failed to win eight of their last nine home games against Al-Nassr
- Their total of 26 goals in this season’s division is an average of 1.3 per game
- On average, Al-Fateh have been conceding an average of almost two goals per league home game in 2025/26
- That gives them the 15th-best home defensive record in the division
- At an average of 12.6 fouls suffered per match, Al-Fateh are the most fouled team in the division
- Al-Nassr have won 14 of the 23 meetings between the teams, losing three times
- They have won four of the last five editions of the fixture
- At an average of 2.5 goals per league game, Al-Nassr have totalled 51 in this season’s top flight
- With the second-best away record in the division, Al-Nassr are averaging more than two goals per game on the road
- They have allowed the lowest number of shots in the league, conceding an average of only 6.7 attempts per match
- Ronaldo has scored in his last four consecutive appearances against Al-Fateh, including a hat-trick in 2023
- In total, Ronaldo has eight goals in six games against them
- Joao Felix scored a hat-trick as Al-Nassr won the reverse fixture 5-1 in October, joined on the scoresheet by Ronaldo and Kingsley Coman
- Sofiane Bendebka replied in that game, with Ronaldo missing a penalty and Sadio Mane providing two assists