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Cristiano Ronaldo should start when Al-Nassr take on Emirati side Shabab Al-Ahli in the playoff round of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday (August 22). This will be the first time Ronaldo will compete in Asian football's premium club competition.
He played his first game in the Saudi Pro League this season at the weekend where his side suffered a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Al-Taawoun. This was Al-Nassr's second consecutive defeat in the league after winning the Arab Club Champions Cup earlier this month.
Cristiano Ronaldo missed the first league game of the new season due to a minor injury. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, however, played the full 90 minutes against Al-Taawoun and should maintain his place in the starting XI against Shabab Al-Ahli.
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Ronaldo could be partnered alongside Sadio Mane and Abdulrahman Ghareeb to form a three-man attack. Marcelo Brozovic will be expected to play in the number 10 slot to help the three attackers ahead of himself.
Based on the regulations, a side can only have five non-Asian players in their squad for the AFC Champions League. According to AS, Al-Nassr have opted to go for Ronaldo, Mane, Brozovic, Alex Telles, and Seko Fofana. This leaves Anderson Taslica out of the squad for the big tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the UEFA Champions League five times in his illustrious career. The Portugal superstar will now finally have his first crack at winning the AFC Champions League. Al-Nassr need to beat Shabab Al-Ahli to advance to the group stage of the tournament.
Shabab Al-Ahli, however, will provide strong competition to the Saudi Arabian giants. They are the current champions of the UAE Pro League and have also won their first game of the 2023-24 season.
Al-Nassr will want Cristiano Ronaldo to bring his Arab Club Champions Cup to the Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the main reasons why Al-Nassr were able to win the Arab Club Champions Cup earlier this month. It was also Ronaldo's first trophy since coming to Saudi Arabia on a free transfer back in December.
Ronaldo won the top scorer award during the Arab Club Champions Cup, having netted six goals from six games. This included a brace in the final against Al-Hilal to secure the trophy.
Luis Castro's side will be banking on Cristiano Ronaldo to provide the same magic in the AFC Champions League this season. The Riyadh-based side last won the prestigious tournament all the way back in 1995.
