Boubacar Kamara marked his return to the Aston Villa squad with a goal in the 3-1 pre-season victory over Thai Premier League side, BG Pathum United. First half goals from Victor Lindelof and Emi Buendia gave Unai Emery's side a comfortable victory in Thailand. Kamara has not featured for Villa since January 2026 after suffering a knee ligament injury.
Aston Villa needed to move after Amadou Onana suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on duty at the World Cup with Belgium, which threw a major spanner in Villa's transfer plans this summer. With Youri Tielemans being sold, Villa had a gaping hole in their midfield, even if Boubacar Kamara is due to return from his own serious knee injury, which he suffered in January. Joao Gomes arrives with the experience and Premier League know-how to hit the ground running under manager Unai Emery.
Following their victory over Al Shabab, Al Nassr are on the verge of clinching the Saudi Pro League title, needing a win today against Al Hilal to secure it. With this in mind, both teams are fielding their strongest lineups, as the season could come down to this one game. Al Nassr and Al Hilal face each other in one of the most competitive matches of the season, as today’s game could determine the winner of the 2025–26 Saudi Pro League. Although Jorge Jesus’ team remain at the top of the table, they have lost four matches this season. This is far from the case for Simone Inzaghi’s team, as they remain unbeaten throughout the campaign, complicating Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of being crowned league champion. Al Hilal have managed to become the most consistent team in the league, remaining the only unbeaten side. Under head coach Simone Inzaghi, they have maintained one of the league’s best defenses, supported by a strong midfield. In addition, Karim Benzema and Sergej Milinković-Savić lead the attack, with support from Malcom and Theo Hernández on the wings, giving them hope of securing a victory. Head coach Jorge Jesus has transformed Al Nassr’s reality, turning them into the best offensive team in the Saudi Pro League. Not only is Cristiano Ronaldo shining from a scoring standpoint, but João Félix and Sadio Mané are as well, giving the team versatility and changes of pace. Despite this, they face a clear challenge: Maintaining defensive consistency, something they have rarely achieved this season despite the strong performances of Iñigo Martínez. In case Cristiano Ronaldo’s team manage to defeat Al Hilal, they could be crowned Saudi Pro League champions, ending a seven-year drought. That’s why both teams are playing for the most important part of the season, as Karim Benzema’s side would need a victory today and to maintain their unbeaten run in the remaining matches to take the title away from Al Nassr. Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr celebrates with teammate Kingsley Coman. Al Nassr confirmed lineup vs Al Hilal Despite entering today’s match as favorites, Al Nassr will face Al Hilal with five key absences: Ângelo, Nawaf Al-Aqeedi, Raghid Alaa Najjar, Sami Al-Najei, and Mubarak Buainain. Nevertheless, head coach Jorge Jesus has recovered Kingsley Coman, allowing him to partner Sadio Mané on the wings. From a scoring standpoint, Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix are expected to be key once again, just as they have been throughout the season. Considering this, Al Nassr will lineup as follows: Bento Krepski; Nawaf Boushal, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Mohamed Simakan, Iñigo Martinez; Kingsley Coman, Ali Alhassan, Marcelo Brozovic, Sadio Mane; Joao Felix, Cristiano Ronaldo. Al Hilal confirmed lineup vs Al Nassr Al Hilal are looking to surprise Al Nassr by defeating them with their impressive defensive and offensive consistency. Although head coach Simone Inzaghi will be without Hamad Al Yami and Kalidou Koulibaly, he still has Karim Benzema, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Theo Hernández, and Rúben Neves available. With them in the roster, they are aiming for a victory that would once again establish them as favorites to win the Saudi Pro League. With this in mind, Al Hilal will play as follows: Yassine Bounou; Hassan Altambakti, Moteb Al-Harbi, Ruben Neves, Theo Hernández; Mohamed Kanno, Nasser Aldawsari; Malcom, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Salem Al Dawsari; Karim Benzema.
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