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Al-Nassr fans are thrilled to see Cristiano Ronaldo start against Damac in the Saudi Pro League today (October 21), with some predicting the Portugal ace to score a hat-trick.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. will be aiming to get back to winning ways after being held to a 2-2 draw against Abha prior to the international break. They are currently fifth in the league standings with 19 points from nine games, seven points behind leaders Al-Hilal with a game in hand.
Raghed Al-Najjar starts in goal for Al-Nassr ahead of the injured Nawaf Alaqidi. Nawaf Boushal, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Aymeric Laporte, and Alex Telles make up the defense, with Sultan Al-Ghannam suspended and Ali Lajami missing out due to injury.
The midfield consists of Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Seko Fofana, Anderson Talisca, Otavio, and Sadio Mane while Marcelo Brozovic misses out due to injury. Cristiano Ronaldo starts as the lone forward to complete Luis Castro's starting XI.
Fans are thrilled to see Cristiano Ronaldo feature against 10th-placed Damac. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been in exceptional form this season, netting 11 goals and registering six assists in 11 appearances across all competitions.
One fan posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"The GOAT plays today."
Another fan wrote:
"What a banga for Alnassr fc. Great, start with the goat."
Craig Burley explains the main difference between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
ESPN pundit Craig Burley recently explained the main difference between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, believing the latter can carry his nation when it matters, unlike Ronaldo.
Messi etched his name in football history when he led Argentina to 2022 FIFA World Cup glory last December. The forward scored seven goals and won the Golden Ball, leading his country from the front.
On the other hand, Ronaldo had a poor event, scoring just one goal and losing his starting spot to Goncalo Ramos in the knockout stages as Portugal were knocked out by Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Burley used their respective World Cup performances as an indicator, saying (via ESPN):
"Cristiano Ronaldo at the last World Cup was a problem for Portugal. Correct me if I’m wrong but Lionel Messi was not a problem for Argentina. He was the hub of everything that they did well so he did not need dropping."
He added:
“Nobody was going around Argentina or the rest of the world going ‘what’s he going to do with Messi because he’s the problem’ and that’s the difference. One of them was still able to really carry his team and the other could not.”
To his credit, Ronaldo has looked much better for Portugal under Roberto Martinez this year. He has scored nine goals in seven appearances during the 2024 UEFA Euro qualifiers, helping his nation qualify for the competition.
