Fahad Al-Herifi backs Al Nassr to stop Al Hilal in Saudi title race

Fahad Al-Herifi says Al Nassr have the defensive organisation and squad strength needed to beat traditional rivals Al Hilal, provided they avoid losing any of their key players.

The former Al Nassr and Saudi Arabia national team midfielder was speaking after Al Hilal returned to the top of the Roshn Saudi League with a 3-2 victory over Al Ittihad on Saturday in the eighth round of the competition.

Despite Al Hilal’s win and their position at the summit, Al-Herifi believes Al Nassr are capable of challenging them directly and exploiting weaknesses in the league leaders’ performances.

“Al Nassr, with their current defensive organisation, their approach and a fully fit squad, can stop Al Hilal, provided none of the team’s current stars are absent,” Al-Herifi said in televised comments about the Saudi title race.

He argued that maintaining a complete squad would be particularly important in any meetings between the two sides, as Al Nassr would have a greater chance of overcoming Al Hilal if all of their influential players were available.

Al-Herifi also questioned the quality of Al Hilal’s performances, despite the dramatic victory over Al Ittihad. He said their position at the top of the table did not mean they were free from problems, with their defensive display a particular concern.

“In my view, Al Hilal are not producing their best performance because of Simone Inzaghi’s approach and their defensive retreat. There are mistakes in their positioning, so Al Nassr are the closest team to stopping Al Hilal,” he said.

The former Al Nassr player believes those defensive issues could give opponents opportunities to attack the spaces around Al Hilal and create chances in front of goal.

His comments came after Al Hilal’s latest win restored their lead in the Roshn Saudi League standings, but he maintained that Al Nassr’s current organisation and tactical approach could give them the tools to compete with the leaders.

For Al-Herifi, the outcome of future encounters could depend on whether Al Nassr preserve their full-strength squad and whether they can make effective use of the openings he believes Al Hilal are currently allowing.