Al-Hilal seeks to reclaim the lead from league leaders Al-Qadsiah

Its Italian coach, Simone Inzaghi, said after the hard-fought victory over Al-Hazem (1-0) in the dying moments: "We will travel to Dammam to face Al-Qadsiah, and will likely stay there before departing to Doha to play in the AFC Champions League Elite."

Al-Hilal will travel to face Qatar's Al-Shamal on Tuesday in the third round of the West Zone group stage of the Champions League, seeking its third consecutive win.

The "Leaders" failed to overcome Al-Qadsiah in their last two encounters (2-2 in both legs of last season).

Northern Irishman Brendan Rodgers, coach of Al-Qadsiah, confirmed his "pride" in his team following their recent victory over Al-Taawoun.

For its part, Al-Qadsiah will play its hosts, Qatar's Al-Sadd, on Monday, hoping for a second win against a team that has not tasted victory in its last four matches across various competitions.

Meanwhile, Al-Nassr targets its fourth consecutive win in all competitions after narrowly overcoming NEOM 1-0 the day before yesterday, in a match where its Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty kick prior to the goal.

If it wins against its hosts Al-Faisaly, it will advance regardless of the outcome of the Al-Qadsiah and Al-Hilal match, sitting just three points behind the leaders.

Australian coach Ange Postecoglou expressed satisfaction with the recent win, emphasizing that securing the three points against a defensively organized opponent is of the utmost importance to him.

Postecoglou explained: "The Saudi League includes strong competitors, which requires my team to prepare well for every match in order to continue winning."

He added: "Changing the tactical approach is linked to the nature of the opponent the team faces. My job is to choose the most appropriate method to achieve victory, which is Al-Nassr's top priority in its matches."

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager pointed out the impact of the absences of Frenchmen Mohamed Simakan and Kingsley Coman, describing them as "important names in any team's lineup."

He continued: "Despite the circumstances, we managed to rotate some players and achieved the victory."

Al-Nassr had swept Al-Faisaly with four goals in their last encounter.

Al-Faisaly has managed to secure a win only once in its last ten matches across various competitions.

Ronaldo and his teammates play against the UAE's Al-Wasl in the third round of the Champions League, seeking a second consecutive victory against a team that has not yet earned any points.

Al-Ahli for a fourth consecutive win

Asian champions Al-Ahli are looking for their fourth consecutive win in all competitions when they host Al-Khaleej today, Thursday, at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal City Stadium in Jeddah.

Al-Ahli occupies fifth place with 18 points, but has bounced back in recent weeks after a shaky start.

Al-Khaleej's Portuguese coach, José Gomes, said: "Al-Ahli is a big team with excellent, high-level players, and it is natural that playing against them will be difficult."

Gomes complained about the squad shortages in his team but also pointed to Al-Ahli's absences, saying, "Al-Ahli is also suffering from shortages, and we must be strong in defense and smart in attack to overcome them given the strong arsenal they possess."

Al-Ahli achieved a sweeping victory over Al-Shabab in their last encounter (5-2).

Following this match, they will host Qatar's Al-Gharafa in the AFC Champions League Elite, seeking a second win in their title defense campaign.

In other matches, Al-Hazem kicks off the round by hosting Al-Fayha, and Al-Shabab meets Al-Shabab on Thursday as well.

Al-Ittihad faces its hosts Al-Diriyah on Friday, NEOM plays Abha on Saturday, and Al-Kholood meets Al-Ettifaq while Al-Riyadh faces Al-Taawoun.