Al-Qadisiyah's first football team completed all their technical and physical preparations on Wednesday for their highly anticipated match against Al-Nassr, in the 14th round of the Saudi Professional League. The match is scheduled for Thursday evening at 8:30 PM at Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh, a highly anticipated encounter for Saudi football fans given the strength of both teams this season.
Details of the final training session and the team's trip to Riyadh
The final training session led by Irish coach Brendan Rodgers featured a mix of fitness and technical drills. The session began with warm-up exercises to improve the players' physical condition before shifting focus to purely tactical aspects. Rodgers emphasized several specific tactical plays he intends to use to unlock Al-Nassr's defense, while also giving the players specific instructions to maintain their concentration throughout the 90 minutes.
Immediately after the training session ended, the "Bano Cadiz" delegation headed directly to the airport to board the plane bound for Riyadh, where the team will enter a short closed preparatory camp to increase concentration levels hours before the starting whistle.
Key absences and Rodgers' alternative solutions
Al-Qadisiyah's coaching staff faces significant challenges this round, primarily due to the absence of two key players. Star player Otavio Monteiro is confirmed to be out with a recent injury, while young talent Musab Al-Juwair is on national duty with the Saudi Olympic team at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
In an effort to compensate for these absences without disrupting the team's balance, Rodgers decided to field German star Julian Weigl as a key player in midfield to fill the void left by Otavio, leveraging his extensive European experience to control the tempo of the game. The manager also selected Turki Al-Ammar as a suitable replacement for Al-Juwair, with the coaching staff relying on him to provide attacking impetus and link the lines.
Matteo Retigui... Player of the Month and a well-deserved honor
In a significant morale-boosting gesture ahead of the big match, the team celebrated honoring Italian international striker Matteo Rettigny, who received the "Player of the Month" award for December based on a fan vote. This recognition comes as a culmination of his impressive performances, as Rettigny scored eight crucial goals in the Roshan League this season, making him one of Al-Qadisiyah's key attacking weapons in their quest to threaten Al-Nasr's goal.
Al-Qadisiyah's ambitions and the team's position in the league
Al-Qadisiyah enters this match with high morale and a strong desire to continue their positive run, especially after winning their last two matches, which has helped them climb the league table. The team has 21 points from 13 matches, with 7 wins and 3 draws, while suffering only 2 defeats. Rodgers and his squad are aiming for a positive result at Al-Nasr's home ground to solidify their position among the league's top teams and compete for a higher ranking.
