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Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to start when Al-Nassr take on Al-Ain in the second leg of their quarterfinal tie in the AFC Champions League on Monday, March 11.
The Knights of Najd will want to return to winning ways following their shock 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Al-Raed in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday. Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes in that game but failed to make a goal-scoring contribution.
Al-Nassr will now shift their attention to the AFC Champions League, where they have a chance of qualifying for the semifinals. In such an important tie, Cristiano Ronaldo should keep his place in the starting XI as he is still his side's main attacking threat.
Ronaldo could be partnered by Sadio Mane and Ayman Yahya to form a three-man attack. Fellow attacker Anderson Talisca is on the sidelines after picking up a long-term injury before their first leg tie against Al-Ain.
Al-Nassr will be relying on Cristiano Ronaldo to come good as they try to turn the 1-0 deficit from the first leg.
Being the home side, Luis Castro's side will back themselves to turn the tie around and qualify for the semifinals. Ronaldo has had a great Champions League campaign, scoring five goals from seven matches in the tournament.
Should Al-Nassr turn the deficit around and beat Al-Ain, they would face fellow Saudi Arabian outfit in the form of either Al-Ittihad or Al-Hilal in the semifinals.
Cristiano Ronaldo will want to end his first full season in Al-Nassr colors with a trophy
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr are coming close to finishing their first full season together. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, however, is still yet to taste success in Saudi Arabia.
The Riyadh-based side are technically still fighting on all three fronts in the latter stages of the 2023-24 season. However, they have gone two games without a win in the Saudi Pro League, which means that they are now 12 points behind league leaders Al-Hilal with 11 matches to go.
Cristiano Ronaldo's side are also in the semifinals of the King's Cup and could reach the same stage in the AFC Champions League if they get past Al-Ain.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has had an excellent season on an individual level. The former Juventus superstar has scored 28 goals and provided 11 assists from 31 matches across all competitions.
It is, however, worth mentioning that Ronaldo did guide his side to the Arab Club Champions Cup back in the summer. The tournament, however, is not regarded as a major tournament.
