Al-Nassr vs Istiklol Prediction for the Match on September 17, 2025

Al-Nassr vs Istiklol: Prediction for the Match on September 17, 2025

Al-Nassr face a familiar opponent, Istiklol, in the opening match of the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Two at Al-Awwal Park, looking to have an amazing campaign in the Intercontinental competition this season. Last season, Al-Nassr had a strong run in the AFC Champions League, but they were eliminated from the AFC Champions League Elite in the semifinals by Kawasaki Frontale, who eventually lost the prestigious title to Al-Ahli in the finals. 

Istiklol, on the other hand, will enter this competition again after falling out in last season's edition in the group stage, with six straight losses in Group C. Istiklol is doing very well in the Tajikistan higher league, as they sit firmly in third place, two points behind league leaders Vakhsh. Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr has the upper hand in this game, and we believe they will secure a confident victory on Wednesday. Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

🏠 Al-Nassr: Form and Statistics

Al-Nassr: form and statistics

Last season, Al-Nassr lost the opportunity to make it to the finals of the AFC Champions League after they were knocked out by Kawasaki Frontale in the semi-finals. Kawasaki Frontale later lost in the final to another Saudi Arabian team, Al-Ahli.

Al-Nassr managed to finish third place in the league last season, trailing 5 points behind second-placed Al-Hilal and the current Saudi Champions Al-Ittihad. Al-Nassr had a bad season compared to the 23/24 season, when they finished in second place with 82 total points. 

Al-Nassr have fortified their squad this season with the addition of a few great players. Kingsley Coman joined from Bayern Munich, and Joao Felix, who already has three goals to his name this season, joined from Chelsea. Al-Nassr left a mark in their season opener against Al-Taawoun, winning the game by 5 goals to nil. Joao Felix scored a hat-trick, alongside goals from Kingsley Coman and Cristiano Ronaldo. Their most recent league outing was against Al-Kholood, and the game ended in a 2-0 victory to Al-Nassr, with Sadio Martinez and Inigo Martinez finding the net. Al-Nassr will be hoping for a positive outcome in their first AFC Champions League game of the season.

Al-Nassr: Lineup

Jorge Jesus has brought a different kind of flair to the team with the addition of Kingsley Coman, making runs from the right, and Joao Felix playing behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Otavio and Laporte are unavailable as they have moved to Al-Qadisiyah and Athletic Bilbao, respectively. Haroune Camara might also make his debut for Al-Nassr on Wednesday after joining from Al-Shabab. 

Player to watch out for: Cristiano Ronaldo

The 40-year-old legend scored 35 goals in the 2024-25 season, emerging as the league's top scorer. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, already has a goal to his name this season, and we believe he’ll get more on Wednesday. 

🔖 Al-Nassr Probable starting lineup (4-2-3-1)

Bento – Mohamed Simakan, Inigo Martinez, Ayman Yahya, Boushal— Marcelo Brozovic, Angelo – Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane, Joao Felix – Cristiano Ronaldo

👤 Head coach: Jorge Jesus

🏠 Istiklol: Form and Statistics

Istiklol make their return to the AFC Champions League Two after a terrible run in the competition last season. Istiklol failed to win a game in the competition last season, with 6 consecutive losses in the group stage. This time around, Istiklol comes with confidence of securing a better outcome in the intercontinental competition after finishing as the Tajikistan champions last season. 

In the Tajikistan League this season, their performance has been really good as they are currently third placed in the league table with only two points behind the current league leaders, Vakhsh. Istiklol will need more than a miracle to secure a point against Al-Nassr, who are hungry for a trophy and for goals.

Istiklol: Lineup

Vladimir Churlyaei will field his regular formation 

🔖 Istiklol Probable starting lineup (4-2-3-1)

⛔️ Out: None

👤 Head coach: Vladimir Churlyae 

🤝Al-Nassr vs Istiklol Head-to-Head Statistics

The teams have previously met twice in the AFC Champions League Elite 23/24 Group E, and Al-Nassr won one of the encounters while the other ended in a draw.

📉 Al-Nassr vs Istiklol Betting Trend

• No losses for Al-Nassr in their last 2 meetings, and the bet on Al-Nassr to win this game is offered on the 1xBet bookmaker website for odds of 1.104 odds;
• Both teams have found the net in their last two meetings, and this option is offered on the Betway bookmaker website for 2.14 odds;
• Some Betway experts believe that Istiklol will find the net, and this option is offered on the Betway bookmaker website for 2.05 odds;

🎯Al-Nassr vs Istiklol match prediction 17 SEPTEMBER 2025

Al-Nassr will dominate this game. Ronaldo will be itching to get his name on the scoresheet after failing to score in their last league game against Al-Kholood. I believe Ronaldo will get a brace in this imminent annihilation awaiting Istiklol. Istiklol have scored against Al-Nassr in their last two meetings, and Istiklol finding the net is not far-fetched; they might get on the scoresheet.

Our match prediction: is a HT TO 1.5 goals for a coefficient of 2.05 in the 1xBet bookmaker.

Our betting tip on the match: is for Al-Nassr to score a total of over 2.5 goals for a coefficient of 1.60 in the Betway bookmaker.

Lastly: A both teams to score for 2.14 odds in the Bet365 bookmaker.