Al-Ittihad FC vs Al-Nassr prediction 26/01/2023

• Date: 26/01/2023
• Competition: Saudi Super Cup
• KO: 18:00 GMT / 19:00 CET
• Venue: King Fahd International Stadium (Ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh))

Having failed to score in his Al Nassr debut, Cristiano Ronaldo will next lead his new side in the Saudi Super Cup against Al Ittihad at the King Fahd International Stadium.

It was something of a disappointing debut for the world´s now highest-paid footballer, with the Al Ittihad edging to a narrow 1:0 win against Al Ittifaq thanks to a header from Brazilian Anderson Tallisca. 

Al-Ittihad FC vs Al-Nassr Betting Tips: BTTS (Tallisca to score anytime)

Now sitting top of the Saudi League, Al Nassr will be confident of adding silverware to their season as they come into this fixture unbeaten in 13 matches with 10 wins achieved during that period.

Boosted by the arrival of the five-time Balon D´or winner, Al Nassr are narrow favourites for this cup final however, a tight contest has to be expected, with Al Ittihad sitting just two points behind in the Saudi League standings.

While Ronaldo will inevitably receive much of, if not all, of the attention ahead of this showpiece occasion, Anderson Tallisca has been the talisman for Al Nassr this season. The languid but highly skilled no10 has scored an impressive 18 goals in his last 18 appearances and seems likely to be the go-to man while CR7 adjusts to new climes. 

Still, this contest seems likely to be an entertaining one, with previous meetings between these sides usually producing goals at both ends. Indeed, 9 of their last 11 games have seen BTTS, while Al Nassr have failed to win any of their nine most recent fixtures. 

Needing to turn the tide of history to pick up the trophy, we expect a more entertaining contest than witnessed in Ronaldo´s Al Nassr debut this past weekend. With that in mind, we´re backing both to score, an outcome so frequently witnessed in this fixture´s recent history. Anytime scorer fans will also do well to avoid the CR7 selection and instead opt for the in-form Tallisca.