Cristiano Ronaldo is just like fine wine—he gets better with age. The Real Madrid all-time goalscorer is showing no signs of slowing down, even at 38, as he continues to dominate not just Saudi Arabian football but also international football. Ronaldo scored his 44th goal in 2023 for club and country on Saturday, and the club continues to rely heavily on him for goals.
However, Luis Castro will have to cope with Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence in the return leg of the AFC Champions League clash against Al Duhail tonight. The Portuguese star will miss the game despite playing in Saturday’s win over Al-Khaleej in the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Nassr prepares for AFC Champions League tie without Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the star of the Al-Nassr show this season, scoring 12 league goals in 10 games to help his club tighten the space on Al-Hilal, who are at the top of the league with a four-point lead. The former Manchester United forward has scored some important goals for Al-Nassr in all competitions this season, including three and four assists in the AFC Champions League.
Ronaldo’s form has helped Al-Nassr go 16 games unbeaten in all competitions, which has led to a strong position at the top half of the table in both the league and AFC Champions League despite the early-season disappointment. His last effort came in the 2-1 win over Al-Khaleej, where he scored an outrageous long-range strike.
Sadly, Al-Nassr will have to deal with his loss in tonight’s return fixture of the AFC Champions League clash against Al-Duhail. Ronaldo scored a brace in the first fixture a fortnight ago, but his miss may prove decisive for Al-Nassr tonight.
“He’s absent due to fatigue,” Luis Castro explained when asked about Ronaldo’s absence from the squad to face Al-Duhail. “A few days ago, he played a match that went into extra time and 48 hours ago, he played an important league match,” he further added.
Ronaldo, who also missed his brother’s big day, is likely to return against Al-Wehda in the Saudi Pro League on November 11, where Al-Nassr will continue to try to keep the pressure on Al-Hilal at the top of the table.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s left foot stole the show in Al-Nassr’s triumph
Even at 38, Cristiano Ronaldo cannot stop scoring goals. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is not just scoring goals; he’s scoring outrageous goals that are winning games for his team and keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
One of those goals came in Al-Nassr’s narrow 4-3 win over Al-Duhail in the AFC Champions League game a few weeks ago. The Portugal national team captain took the ball on his left foot and shot a supposedly weak ‘golazo’ to extend his team’s lead.
While Cristiano Ronaldo will be missed in the return fixture in Qatar tonight, an attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Ottavio, and Talisca will likely be enough to secure a win for the SPL side.
Can Al-Nassr beat Al-Duhail tonight?
