Saudi Super Cup 2025 Final: Al Nassr’s Transition Power vs Al Ahli’s Tactical Discipline
🏆 Saudi Super Cup Final Preview: Al Nassr vs Al Ahli
The Saudi Super Cup 2025 final will see Al Nassr and Al Ahli face off. Both teams are currently playing with some of the most balanced squads in Saudi football. Al Nassr reached the final by defeating Al Ittihad 2-1, while Al Ahli secured their spot after a tough match with a commanding 5-1 victory over Al Qadasiya.
This heavyweight clash presents two very different challenges: on one side is Jorge Jesus’ speedy transition-based Al Nassr, and on the other, Matej Jelic’s tactically disciplined and individually brilliant Al Ahli.
🟡 Al Nassr’s Tactics & Football Philosophy
Since Jorge Jesus took charge, Al Nassr has transformed into a transition-heavy and flexible positional football team. There are no strict positional boundaries; players constantly rotate and make third-man runs to confuse opposition defenses.
Instead of relying on midfield-oriented control, Jesus prefers overloading the deep line to progress the ball into the final third. This requires defenders with excellent passing range.
👉 Inigo Martinez, Simakan, Ayman, and deep-dropping Brozovic are all accurate passers—both on the ground and aerially. As a result, Al Nassr can now recover possession quickly and launch effective attacks with long passes, even while playing fewer short passes.
🟢 Al Ahli’s Tactics & Structure
Under Matej Jelic, Al Ahli is a tactically disciplined side that thrives on a long-ball heavy attacking style. With wingers like Galeno and Riyad Mahrez, they create width and launch quick central attacks from the flanks.
👉 In midfield, Kessié and Enzo Milton provide physicality and second-ball winning ability, which brings balance to the team. From the backline, Al Ahli prefers to play directly to the wings, allowing them to bypass high presses with long balls.
Notably, Mahrez often inverts from the right into central zones, while Galeno makes overlapping runs from the left. This allows them to execute cross-heavy attacks from both flanks, where strong aerial players inside the box can finish effectively.
🟡 How Can Al Nassr Beat Al Ahli?
🔒 Defensive Strategy:
To beat Al Ahli, Al Nassr must block their long-ball avenues. Al Ahli’s main strength lies in bypassing high presses by playing directly from the backline to the wings.
Al Nassr must stay compact in the mid-block, and their back three (Simakan, Inigo, Bushal) must cover passing lanes before the diagonal balls are released.
Brozovic should press slightly higher to cover central channels, which could disrupt Mahrez’s inverted runs.
Since Mahrez and Galeno stretch defenses wide and create inside spaces, Al Nassr needs to overload those areas with two-versus-one situations—essentially, a double wing block.
The duel between Ayman vs Riyad Mahrez could be decisive for the final result.
⚡ Attacking Strategy:
To respond effectively, Al Nassr must rely on positional fluidity in transitions. As seen in pre-season and the Super Cup semi-final, Jorge Jesus’ Al Nassr excels at breaking opposition blocks through quick counter-attacks.
Ensuring Ronaldo, Wesley, and João Félix receive the ball in half-spaces will be key.
If Simakan, Ayman, and Brozovic can bypass midfield with long balls directly into the final third, Al Ahli’s compact midfield won’t be able to impose their game.
To avoid physical duels with Kessié and Enzo Milton, Al Nassr should rely on quick side switches. Creating overloads on one wing with Wesley and João Félix, then cutting inside, could be highly effective.
✅ Final Take
While Al Ahli’s defenders are strong in the air, their fullbacks sometimes lose positional discipline. This could allow Ronaldo’s late runs, or Coman and Wesley’s inverted cut-ins with drag-back passes, to open up goal-scoring opportunities for Al Nassr.
Author: Palash Das