Saudi standouts: Nasser and Al Juwayr go head-to-head in RSL cracker | OneFootball

You don’t have to scroll far into this week’s fixture list to see arguably the standout encounter of Matchweek Two of the 2025-26 Roshn Saudi League.

Al Hilal, last year’s runners-up, host last season’s fourth-placed Al Qadsiah at Riyadh's Kingdom Arena in a genuine heavyweight battle in an early season, title-framing six-pointer.

It’s a clash that contains some of the league’s most prized and high-profile new signings, from Al Hilal’s Darwin Nunez and Theo Hernandez to Al Qadsiah’s Mateo Retegui and Julian Weigl.

There are key confrontations right across the park, but one of the most interesting, and arguably most important, involves two players who this week shared a dressing room with the Saudi Arabia national team.

In fact, they’re also former teammates at Al Hilal as recently as the summer FIFA Club World Cup.

That is Musab Al Juwayr, the RSL’s reigning Young Player of the Year, fresh off his move from Al Hilal to Al Qadsiah, and Nasser Al Dawsari, the 26-year-old emerging as a key pillar of Simone Inzaghi’s squad at Al Hilal.

It’s the first time Al Juwayr will come up against Al Hilal since recently making a permanent move away from Kingdom Arena.

Having spent the past two seasons on loan at Al Shabab, the 22-year-old is no stranger to facing the hugely decorated Riyadh club, but he always did so as an on-loan Al Hilal player desperate to impress and thus work his way into his parent club’s calculations.

Now at Al Qadsiah, no doubt he’ll be keen to remind Al Hilal of what they’re missing out on.

Gifted the No.10 jersey, his role is an obvious one in behind the twin strike-force of Julian Quinones and Retegui, the latter who last month scored a brace on RSL debut in a 3-1 win against Al Najmah.

Then, across the recently concluded international break, the Italian was instrumental for his national team, netting twice in a 5-0 win against Estonia before bagging two assists in their thrilling 5-4 win against Israel.

With Al Juwayr completing a clean sweep of the RSL Young Player of the Month awards last season, his career arc is somewhat well defined and known. However, one less discussed is that of Nasser at Al Hilal.

The lesser known of the Al Dawsaris at the club, and no relation to celebrated captain Salem, Nasser has been ready to explode since his stunning goal in the opening 20 seconds of the AFC Champions League Final in 2021.

Almost five years on from that and it would be harsh to describe the 26-year-old as a bit-part player; he did play 31 of 34 league games last season, but more often than not he was coming off the bench. Put plainly, he featured in roughly 33 percent of available game-time.

Yet, while Nasser has been patiently waiting in the wings for his opportunity, it looks finally like that chance has arrived.

The appointment of a new coach always brings fresh opportunity to impress, and Inzaghi, who in May guided Inter Milan to the UEFA Champions League final, has clearly taken a liking to the lanky left-footer.

Since the Italian has taken charge, his tenure beginning at the FIFA Club World Cup, Nasser has started every game, playing in central midfield alongside Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic - and doing so with an admirable confidence and assuredness.

His performances in the United States, against some of the best teams in the world, were calm and composed, and belied the relative lack of experience Nasser has playing at the highest level.

But he is showing the benefit of having the manager’s confidence, and there’s something about his no-frills style that Inzaghi has taken a liking to since landing in the capital.

Nasser’s importance and involvement isn’t always reflected in the stats, where he often closes passing lanes and presses to win the ball back. Still, it’s one that is pivotal to the structure of Inzaghi’s side.

Now Nasser comes up against one of the hottest young stars in the league, and a fellow Saudi Arabian international. For sure, how much he can contain Al Juwayr will go a long way to determining the outcome of Saturday’s blockbuster clash.