Al-Nasr faces Al-Ittihad... Saturday

Riyadh (AFP) – Al-Nassr are looking to continue their ideal start and secure a fifth consecutive victory as they begin their title defense, facing Al-Ittihad on Saturday in a fiery clash in the fifth round of the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Nassr have won all four of their matches so far, mirroring Al-Hilal, who top the table on goal difference ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates, the defending champions, following their emphatic 3-0 victory over Al-Ahli, the Asian champions, in a rescheduled match from the previous round.

As usual, Al-Nassr are relying on Ronaldo, who became the club’s all-time top scorer in the league with 104 goals after his side’s 2-1 win against Al-Taawoun in the last round, surpassing Mohammed Al-Sahlawi’s record of 103 goals.

Al-Ittihad will represent Al-Nassr’s first real test of the season, despite coach Jens Keller’s side dropping four points early on after two draws, the most recent being a goalless stalemate against Al-Fateh in the previous round, leaving them in fifth place.

Al-Hilal hope to maintain their lead at the top when they face local rivals and hosts Al-Shabab, currently third, on Friday.

Despite the reinforcements Al-Shabab made during the summer transfer window, they have yet to secure a win, making their task difficult against Al-Hilal, who are buoyed by their big victory over Al-Ahli, aided by new signing English striker Oli Watkins, who came on as a substitute on Tuesday and scored the third goal.

In other matches, Al-Faisaly will face Al-Hazem on Saturday, while Al-Taawoun will play Al-Fateh.