Manuel Chávez
Dailysports's expert
On April 30, Al-Nassr will take on Kawasaki Frontale in the AFC Champions League. Here’s my exclusive preview and prediction for this highly anticipated clash.
Al-Nassr
Cristiano and his teammates are laser-focused on the Champions League trophy, especially now that they’re just two steps away from glory. For Al-Nassr, this is the only silverware left on the table—they’ve been knocked out of the national cup, and in the league, they’re only third, trailing the leaders by six points. In their last outing, Al-Nassr secured a hard-fought 3-2 away win over Damac, with the decisive goal coming in the 90+4th minute.
In the Champions League playoffs, Al-Nassr advanced past Esteghlal on aggregate—drawing 0-0 away and then winning 3-0 at home. Next, they claimed an emphatic 4-1 away victory over Yokohama Marinos.
Kawasaki Frontale
The Japanese side has made a serious statement in this season’s Champions League, and now face the daunting challenge of knocking out a club that’s making headlines worldwide.
In the playoffs, Kawasaki edged past Shanghai Shenhua—losing 0-1 away before a dominant 4-0 win at home. Their battle with Qatar’s Al Sadd was a dramatic affair, going into extra time where they netted the decisive goal to win 3-2. Domestically, Kawasaki sit eighth in the J1 League, six points adrift of the top three but with a game in hand. However, they’re currently on a five-match winless streak in the league.
Probable lineups
- Al-Nassr: Bento, Bushal, Lajami, Simakan, Al Ghanam, Brozovic, Al-Hassan, Mane, Otavio, Duran, Ronaldo.
- Kawasaki Frontale: Yamaguchi, Sasaki, Takai, Maruyama, Miura, Takashi, Kawahara, Yamamoto, Ienaga, Wakizaka, Marcinho, Erison.
Prediction
Bookmakers clearly favor the home side in this matchup. Al-Nassr have the advantage of playing on their own turf and possess greater quality, while the Japanese club has been underwhelming of late. These teams have never met before. Expect the Saudi side to have the upper hand, with the Ronaldo factor potentially decisive. My pick: Al-Nassr to win with a -1 goal handicap.
