Istiklol vs Al Nassr Prediction, Lineups, Injuries, and Team News

The AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 is in its 5th matchday, where Al Nassr will travel to Tajikistan to play against Istiklol Dushanbe at the Hisor Central Stadium on 26th November, 2025. Al Nassr are on the verge of qualifying for the next round with four wins out of their first four matches of the group, while Istiklol are fighting for second place with Al-Zawraa. The last three meetings between these two teams have gone in favour of the Saudi Arabian club massively, with the Tajikistan-based club managing just a draw way back in 2023. Before you head to watch the match on Wednesday, you need to have a look at our Istiklol vs Al Nassr prediction. All the updates for the game are here in our Istiklol and Al Nassr preview, which will keep you ready on what to expect from the high-voltage AFC Champions League Two game.

Istiklol vs Al Nassr Preview

Istiklol Dushanbe sit third in their group (Group D) with 6 points in four games. They have lost two matches on the road, one to Al Nassr and another to Al Zawraa. Their only two wins have come against FC Goa and Al Zawraa at home. They have managed to score just five goals but have let in three, which highlights their defensive problems that have hindered them from moving up the table. They are on level points with Al Zawraa but are behind due to a negative goal difference. They will look to win their remaining games and hope for Al Zawraa to drop points to have a chance of qualifying as the second-best team from the group to the ACL Elite. However, their record in the last five matches paints a difficult picture, as they have just two wins.

Meanwhile, Al Nassr sit top of the group with four out of four wins. They have managed to score 13 goals and have let in just one, showing tremendous defensive prowess. A defence pairing of Martinez and Al-Amri has been rock solid in the Champions League two, with Inigo Martinez bringing the European quality and experience, while Al-Amri brings the physicality. Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't featured throughout the group stage campaign, and it is once again expected that the Portuguese talisman will sit out this game too. Even in his absence, players like Joao Felix, Angelo, and Wesley have stepped up quite nicely, with Sadio Mane, Kingsley Coman, and Marcelo Brozovic providing the much-needed energy from the bench. They will look to keep their unbeaten run in the tournament intact with another dominating performance away from home. The last time these two teams met in Tajikistan was in 2023, where the game ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

Istiklol vs Al Nassr Match Info

Here is the all-important match info from the Istiklol vs Al Nassr preview.

Match Name: Istiklol vs Al Nassr, AFC Champions League Two

Stadium Name: Central Stadium

Kick-Off Time: 1:45 PM GMT

People in the US can watch the match on Paramount+, while there is no specific information about the live stream of the match in the UK. Indian fans can watch the live stream of the match on the FanCode official app and website.

Istiklol Dushanbe Team News

Istiklol Dushanbe are expected to play their full squad in a bid to register their first points in the AFC Champions League Two. Soirov and Nazari are expected to start as the two centre-backs up front, causing problems for the Al Nassr backline. Nasrullozoda and Islomov should start as wingbacks, with Okoro playing the centre midfield role. Igor Cherechenko will not make too many changes to the squad that played against Al-Zawraa.

Istiklol Expected Lineup (5-3-2)

Here is the expected starting eleven of Istiklol Dushanbe from the Al Nassr vs Istiklol predicted lineups.

Goalkeeper: Stosic

Defenders: Nasrullozoda, Turkaj, Suslov, Chobanov, Islomov

Midfielders: Dzhalilov, Okoro, Pandazhshanbe

Forward: Soirov, Nazari

Al Nassr Team News

Jorge Jesus is expected to rotate his squad in this fixture, with a few players getting their much-deserved rest. Sadio Mane and Kingsley Coman might come on as second-half substitutes along with Marcelo Brozovic. Joao Felix, Wesley, Angelo, and Camara will be the foreign outfield players, with Bento featuring between the posts. Al Nassr will be without their star man, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is unlikely to travel with the squad to Tajikistan due to his travelling policy. The Portuguese has a clause in his contract which allows him to choose which away games he will play in the season. The age factor plays a role, too, as Jorge Jesus and co. would like to keep him fresh for the more important games of the season.

Al Nassr Expected Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Here is the expected starting eleven of Al Nassr from the Al Nassr vs Istikhlol predicted lineups.

Goalkeeper: Bento

Defenders: Al-Ghannam, Al-Amri, Martinez, Ahmed

Midfielders: Angelo, Al-Khaibari, Wesley, Felix, Ghareeb

Forward: Camara

Istiklol vs Al Nassr Injuries

Let's have a look at the Al Nassr vs Istiklol injuries. Istiklol injury update is that their full squad at their disposal without any major injury concerns. Al Nassr injury update speaks of the unavailability of Saad Al-Nasser due to a muscle injury.

Sportsdunia's Istiklol vs Al Nassr Prediction

We have arrived at the Istiklol vs Al Nassr prediction. We predict a 2-0 win for Al Nassr away from home, with goals from Joao Felix and Wesley. Istiklol will create a few chances but will find it difficult to find the back of the net even with the home ground behind their back. For more updates on other games, just like the Istiklol vs Al Nassr prediction, keep following Sportsdunia!