Al Nassr vs Al Hilal prediction, preview, team news and more | AFC Champions League 2021

Riyadh's two biggest sides, Al Nassr and Al Hilal lock horns on Tuesday
Riyadh's two biggest sides, Al Nassr and Al Hilal lock horns on Tuesday

Riyadh-based sides Al Nassr and Al Hilal meet in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League 2021 for a place in next month's showpiece match.

Both sides are coming off the back of huge victories in the previous round and their derby clash promises to be a rollicking encounter.

Al Nassr brushed aside hapless Al Wahda 5-1 on Saturday following a riotous second half, while Al Hilal made light work of Iranian side Persepolis.

A second-half brace from Bafetimbi Gomis after Salem Al-Dawsari opened their account early on secured a convincing 3-0 victory.

The side is determined to erase the heartbreak of the 2020 finals as they're only 90 minutes away from another showpiece clash.


Al Nassr vs Al Hilal Head-To-Head

There have been 30 previous clashes between the sides, with Al Hilal winning exactly half of them.

Al Nassr have beaten Al Hilal nine times, including a slender 1-0 victory in their league clash in February this year.

Al Nassr Form Guide (all competitions): W-L-W-W-W

Al Hilal Form Guide (all competitions): W-W-D-D-W


Al Nassr vs Al Hilal Team News

Al Nassr

Pedro Emanuel's reign as the new Al Nassr manager got off to a fine start with a clinical 5-1 drubbing of Al Wahda.

Surprisingly, he started in-form Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar on the bench, and it didn't make much of a difference.

But in a big game like this, he's too important to come on as a substitute. That means Abderrazak Hamdallah, despite being on target in their last game, might have to drop out.

Injured: None

Suspended: None

Unavailable: None

Al Hilal

Yasser Al-Shahrani and Abdullah Otayf both missed Al Hilal's victory over Persepolis with injuries.

There have been no reports of either of them recovering in time for the semifinals. The Saudi Arabia internationals are expected to sit out the match again.

Leonardo Jardim is unlikely to make any changes to his lineup from the quarterfinals, with Salem Al-Dawsari and Moussa Marega operating on the wings behind lone striker Bafetimbi Gomis.

Injured: Yasser Al-Shahrani and Abdullah Otayf

Suspended: None

Unavailable: None


Al Nassr vs Al Hilal Predicted XI

Al Nassr (4-2-3-1): Waleed Abdullah; Sultan Al-Ghannam, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Abdullah Madu, Mohammed Qassem; Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem; Abdulfattah Asiri, Anderson Talisca, Jaloliddin Masharipov; Vincent Aboubakar.

Al Hilal (4-2-3-1): Abdullah Al-Mayouf; Mohammed Al-Breik, Jang Hyun-soo, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Nasser Al-Dawsari; Salman Al-Faraj, Mohamed Kanno; Moussa Marega, Matheus Pereira, Salem Al-Dawsari; Bafétimbi Gomis.


Al Nassr vs Al Hilal Prediction

This is a Riyadh derby of huge proportions and both sides have an enviable attacking vanguard to bank upon.

Despite the stakes, there could be plenty of goals in the game, but the side with the better defense on the night is likely to prevail. With this in mind, we expect Al Hilal to move on to the final.

Prediction: Al Nassr 2-3 Al Hilal

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