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Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr return to domestic action after their elimination from the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League on March 11. Al-Nassr will play Al-Ahli away in the Saudi Pro League on Friday (March 15) in a key matchup for both sides.
Cristiano Ronaldo's team will be short-handed, as Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Muhammad Al Fatil and Abdulelah Al Amri have been ruled out due to injuries. This will be the final game for both teams before the international break.
Ghareeb is dealing with an injury to his connecting tissue and is expected to miss up to six weeks of action (via Essentially Sports). Meanwhile, Al Fatil and Al Amri will be out through mid to late April, after suffering a muscle rupture. This has been a major upset for an All-Nassr team that now aims to turn things around and claim the championship.
Al-Nassr are second in the standings with 53 points and has won three of their last five games, while Al-Ahli are six points behind. Al-Ahli will look to claim the victory and cut the deficit to three points. The two clubs are fighting to secure a spot in the Asian Champions League for the 2024-25 season. Al-Hillal lead the way in the SPL with 65 points.
Cristiano Ronaldo expected to go without a major title for a second year in row with Al-Nassr
When Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia a couple of years ago, he focused on winning major titles with Al-Nassr. He had already claimed major championships in the top European Leagues with Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United.
However, Al-Nassr have been eliminated from the Asian Champions League. This means that the Portuguese megastar will not claim a major title with the Saudi Arabian club for the second year in a row. In the meantime, it will be difficult for his team to erase Al-Hillal's 12-point lead and win the domestic league. They could, however, win the King's Cup, where they face Al-Hilal in the semi-finals.
Since moving to Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023. Ronaldo has appeared in 30 games across all competitions this season and has 22 goals and 11 assists.
After the end of the season in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo will shift his attention to the 2024 UEFA European Championship. It could be his last appearance with Portugal in a major international tournament.
