Al-Nassr — Almería, Friendlies Clubs

Almería beat Al-Nassr 2-0 in a Club Friendlies fixture on Monday in Saudi Arabia. The result ended a poor run for the Spanish side, who had lost their previous two warm-up games before this one. Al-Nassr came into the match looking to build momentum after a mixed recent form, but they found themselves chasing the game for long stretches.

The visitors took the lead in the fifty-first minute through D. Chirino, who finished a move to give Almería an advantage. By then, Al-Nassr had already shown they were uncomfortable without the ball, though their possession numbers told a different story. The hosts pushed for an equaliser but struggled to create clear opportunities, and the visitors doubled their lead shortly after. A penalty converted by A. Embarba in the sixty-first minute put the result beyond doubt.

Al-Nassr had fifty-three per cent of the possession but failed to convert that dominance into goals. They registered three shots on target and four off it, while their expected goals figure sat at 1.32 — a number that does not reflect the final score. Almería were more efficient on target, landing five shots on goal from five attempts inside the penalty area, and their expected goals total of 1.79 looked accurate by the final whistle.

The match saw several changes from both sides, with Al-Nassr making five substitutions and Almería four. S. Haqawi received a yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute, one of only two bookings in the game. The hosts attempted eighteen dribbles and completed eight, while the visitors tried twenty-two and succeeded twelve times — a sign that Almería were comfortable taking risks in the final third.

This result marks a slight turnaround for Almería, who had lost to Real Betis and Granada in their prior friendlies. Al-Nassr's recent form included a heavy defeat to Estrela da Amadora and a loss to Benfica B, and this performance did little to suggest those issues had been resolved. The scoreline was straightforward, but the underlying numbers told a story of missed chances and clinical finishing that will require attention before the season begins.