Al Nassr have made several changes to their team after not achieving the 2024-25 season objectives. One of the most significant changes was the arrival of head coach Jorge Jesus. Throughout the friendly games, the team looked much more solid, with Cristiano Ronaldo delivering impressive performances. Consequently, fans are eager to know about his status ahead of today’s game against Al Ittihad in the 2025 Saudi Super Cup semifinals.
After avoiding injuries in the friendly games, Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly fully fit to start against Al Ittihad. Alongside the Portuguese star, Joao Felix could make his official debut, having already played a prominent role in recent friendly games. With this reinforcement in the offense, Cristiano will be looking to break the bad streak of two consecutive games without a win against Karim Benzema‘s team.
Furthermore, head coach Jorge Jesus could also count on the official debut of veteran defender Iñigo Martinez, who has already played his first minutes in the friendly match against Almería. However, his partner in central defense may not be Mohamed Simakan but Abdulelah Al-Amri, as the 25-year-old defender has already recovered but may not start to avoid a relapse of his injury.
Al Nassr predicted lineup against Al Ittihad
Although it is the first official game of the season, Al Nassr could field their best starting eleven to face Al Ittihad, as both teams have a rivalry marked by winning titles as two of the biggest teams in Saudi Arabia. Similarly, Arriyadhiah reported that Kingsley Coman could start despite having recently arrived, after convincing Jorge Jesus with his performance in training.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr celebrates with teammates after scoring the 3rd goal during the AFC Champions League Elite.
With this in mind, Al Nassr could present the following starting lineup: Bento; Sultan Al Ghanam, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Iñigo Martinez, Nawaf Boushal; Marcelo Brozovic, Abdullah Alkhaibari; Kingsley Coman, Joao Felix, Sadio Mane; Cristiano Ronaldo.
see also
Cristiano Ronaldo defends Joao Felix amid controversy over Portuguese star’s move to Al Nassr
Is Karim Benzema playing for Al Ittihad vs Al Nassr at 2025 Saudi Super Cup semifinals today?
Unlike Al Nassr, Al Ittihad have approached the 2025-26 season with a rigorous preparation strategy, engaging in five friendly matches. Despite this proactive effort, their performance was lackluster, culminating in just a single victory. The team faced a minor setback with goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic suffering a muscle injury, sidelining him from play. However, Karim Benzema remains fully fit and poised to lead the lineup.
With this in mind, they could field the following lineup: Youssif Al-Shanqiti; Saad Al Mousa, Danilo Pereira, Ahmed Sharahili, Muath Faqeehi; Fabinho, N’Golo Kante; Mousa Diaby, Unai Hernandez, Steven Bergwijn; Karim Benzema.
