Time for the first test: Wisła - FC Nassaji Mazandaran

On Wednesday, January 24th, at 1:00 PM, Wisła will play their first friendly of the current preseason. Their opponent will be FC Nassaji Mazandaran, an Iranian team currently playing in the Persian Gulf Pro League, the country's top division.

LIVE BROADCAST

Nassaji is a distinguished club, one of the oldest in Iran. However, their players have been disappointing so far this season. Wisła's current rivals, halfway through their season, are in second-to-last place in the league table. In 15 rounds, the team from Mazandaran province has won only twice, amassing a total of 10 points from all matches, which naturally raises the possibility of relegation. Coach Lucas Alcaraz's side are performing somewhat better in the Asian Champions League, where they managed to finish third in their group. Their performance in December's match against the much better Saudi side Al-Hilal certainly deserves a mention.

Nassaji's players put Neymar's current team through a very difficult pace, ultimately losing by a mere 1-2. Despite this, the Iranians certainly can't consider the current season a success. Such a low league position for a club that lifted the national cup just two seasons ago is clearly a poor result and requires urgent improvement. Therefore, we can expect high motivation from their opponents, which will hopefully translate into a great test for new coach Albert Rudé and his players.