A Nassr win at Alinma Stadium on 5 September 2026 would leave Al Ittihad seven points off Al Hilal before the end of September, while also ending Ittihad's unbeaten start under Jens Wissing. Al Nassr arrive as defending champions sitting second, whereas Al Ittihad sit fifth despite being unbeaten across their opening four league matches, their results so far raising more questions than they have answered.
Wissing replaced Sergio Conceição in July 2026 and Postecoglou took over from Jorge Jesus at the same time, so there is no prior head to head history between them and no tactical baggage to draw on.
Ittihad's last five league outings read: a 1-1 draw away to Al Kholood on 15 August, a 1-0 win over Al Qadsiah on 21 August, a 3-2 victory against Al Hazem on 24 August and a 0-0 with Al Fateh on 29 August. They have kept Wissing's defensive shape largely intact but conceded in the closing stages in two of those matches, which against Nassr's press is a genuine vulnerability. Nassr's league results this season need no commentary: 3-0 against Al Fateh, 4-0 against Al Riyadh, 3-2 away at Al Ettifaq and 2-1 against Al Taawoun. They have scored three or more in three of their four league games and have not trailed once.
Wissing is without five players through injury, Saad Al-Mousa, Mahamadou Doumbia, Hamed Al-Ghamdi, Roger Fernandes and Abdul-Rahman Talal Haji, leaving him short at centre back and in defensive midfield, the two positions most exposed against Nassr's press. Postecoglou's two absentees, Sultan Al-Ghannam and Nawaf Al-Aqidi, affect the bench more than the starting eleven.
Under Wissing, Ittihad look to overload the flanks and use wide attackers to open central pockets for Houssem Aouar in transition. Steven Bergwijn is the primary threat from advanced positions, Youssef En-Nesyri leads the line and wins aerial duels and Danilo Pereira sits in front of the back four to cut passing lanes, though the five injury absences are the real concern given how much a depleted back line needs to stay disciplined against a side that thrives on pace. Postecoglou's Nassr move the ball fast and aggressively: Cristiano Ronaldo is the main finisher, Kingsley Coman makes diagonal runs off the last defender from the right, Joao Felix operates in the half space between Nassr's lines to link midfield and attack, Samu Costa wins the ball and recycles quickly to sustain the press and Sadio Mane drifts inside from the left to create space for Coman's overlapping runs. With Ittihad's midfield depleted, Nassr's press should win the ball in advanced positions regularly, so the real question is whether Ittihad's back line, already missing Doumbia and Al-Mousa, can hold a high enough defensive line without leaving space in behind for Coman and Mane to exploit.
Across roughly 54 previous meetings, Ittihad hold a narrow edge with 21 wins to Nassr's 19 and 14 draws, though recent history tilts toward Nassr, who won 2-0 at this ground last season.
En-Nesyri's aerial ability at set pieces and Ronaldo's free kick record are both worth bearing in mind and Nassr have won five straight across all competitions, a run that is hard to argue against regardless of venue.
Nassr's attacking depth and Ittihad's depleted midfield point toward Postecoglou's side winning the ball high up the pitch and converting that pressure into the cleaner chances, particularly through the central gaps Ittihad's absences create. Ittihad's organised shape may earn them a reply through a Bergwijn run into the channel or an En-Nesyri header from a set piece but this looks like a Nassr win. Al Ittihad 1-2 Al Nassr keeps Nassr's perfect record intact while leaving Ittihad still searching for their first win of the Wissing era.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
