Saudi Pro League: Al Hilal vs Al Nassr! The hidden weakness behind the invincibility—why I’m worried about Al Hilal

Today’s first topic isthe Saudi Pro League: Al Hilal vs Al Nassr!

Al Hilal’s advantage is that they are incredibly strong, currently undefeated with 19 straight wins.

But their disadvantage might just be that they are too strong.

This match has a unique aspect—a six-point showdown between championship contenders.

Let’s objectively guess that Al Hilal’s popularity might be higher, right?

Their squad is indeed the best in Asiaand their 19-game winning streak is truly unbeatable.

But here’s the problem—if Al Hilal wins, already invincible and leading by 7 points early on, is that really good for the Saudi Pro League?

Recently, there have been several six-point battles among title contenders.

For example, Arsenal vs Liverpool a few days ago, and Inter Milan vs Napoli earlier today—same story: top championship favorites, league leaders, on winning streaks, playing at home against weakened title rivals;

and the result? No surprises at all.

I’m not suggesting any conspiracy, nor do I think this is deliberately arranged.

But in reality, many events are influenced by various forces and tend to follow the path of least resistance.

Many things seem coincidental or mystical, but sometimes they are inevitable.

Of course, Al Hilal wants to beat their opponent today.

But considering the Saudi league, broadcasters, and other factors—if Al Hilal wins, is that really beneficial? Will the league become more exciting or lose much of its suspense?

If you look deeper, Al Hilal’s strength isn’t as invincible as it appears.

You might have seen the news—Cancelo refused to play in this match.

Since talks with Barcelona are almost finalized, Cancelo feels confident now. If he doesn’t get along with coach Xavi and was benched before, then don’t expect him to come save the day. What can they do?

Without Cancelo, Al Hilal faces even more trouble.

Because Koulibaly and Bono have gone to the African Cup of Nations and reached the semifinals, if Cancelo also sits out, among the four defenders and one goalkeeper in Al Hilal’s backline, only Theo is a top-five European league level player.

Usually, they can easily beat weaker teams, but against a strong opponent like Al Nassr, relying on local Saudi players worth tens of thousands is quite challenging.

That’s whyAl Hilal hurried to sign Fiorentina’s center-back, Mari.

Moreover, although Mari just played for Lazio on January 7, he is very likely to start tonight.

No choice, they are really short on players.

On the other side, Al Nassr has a key figure—coach Jesus, who happens to be Al Hilal’s former coach and knows them very well.

Note: He led Al Hilal to a Guinness World Record of 34 consecutive wins across all competitions. Although there were deep conflicts later, objectively he is Al Hilal’s most successful coach in history, so he must be very familiar with them.

Although in the past, Al Hilal dominated Al Nassr completely,nine of those matches were under Jesus’s management.He understands perfectly why Al Hilal wins and what advantages Al Nassr has.

Now that he coaches Al Nassr, his advantage in knowing both sides is huge.

Finally, one question—what is the purpose of so many top-five European league stars coming to play in Saudi Arabia?

Of course, it’s for the money; it can’t be just for the love of football.

Today, Al Nassr has a prestigious platinum-level sponsor who promised to reward each player if they beat Al Hilal.

That motivation should be enough, right? Although many stars don’t care much about Saudi honors—like Cristiano Ronaldo has fewer titles in Saudi than Barcelona does—money still matters, doesn’t it?

So, considering all factors, do you think Al Nassr can satisfy their fans? I’m hoping they learn from Liverpool and Napoli to secure draws or wins.

Alright, for today’s other matches, I will still share my written opinions tonight. If anything is unclear, feel free to ask me. “Watch football clearly,” see you there!

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