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Fresh off a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Ligue 1 rivals Rennes, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will look to secure a morale-boosting friendly win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Riyadh All-Star XI. The match, which promises to reunite the two greatest players of this generation, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, will be played at the King Fahd International Stadium on 19 January.
Riyadh All-Star XI is set to contain players from both Al Nassr and Al Hilal, the two best clubs in Riyadh. It is believed that new Al Nassr signing Cristiano Ronaldo will captain the combined XI in the Riyadh Season Cup.
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Considering PSG will face lowly Pays de Cassel in the French Cup round-of-32, Christophe Galtier is expected to field a formidable XI in Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Here is the lineup the French coach could opt for this week:
Goalkeeper: Keylor Navas
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been the go-to man in goal for Galtier this season, but we expect him to switch things up for this one and bring Keylor Navas into the fold.
The Costa Rican shot-stopper, who has been linked with a move to Al Nassr, has only played once this season in the 3-1 French Cup win over Chateauroux on 6 January.
Right-back: Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi, who was introduced as a substitute in the clash against Rennes, endured a night to forget. The Moroccan right-back was all over the place against the French outfit and was turned inside out by Adrien Truffert in the build-up to Hamari Traore’s winning strike in the 65th minute.
He will hope for a much-improved performance against Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. in Saudi Arabia.
Centre-back: Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos was arguably PSG’s best player in the defeat against Rennes. He played 14 passes into the final third, delivered six accurate long balls, and made six recoveries.
The 36-year-old has been a constant presence in Galtier’s XI this season and should start again in the friendly bout against his old teammate Cristiano Ronaldo’s Riyadh All-Star XI.
Centre-back: Marquinhos
Brazilian centre-back Marquinhos has not quite been at his confident best since returning from World Cup duty. In the defeat against Rennes, Marquinhos was all over the place, completely losing Traore as he bundled in the winning goal.
Marquinhos would try to put in a good shift against Cristiano Ronaldo’s star-studded Riyadh All-Star XI and get some much-needed confidence under his belt.
Left-back: Juan Bernat
With Nuno Mendes slowly recovering from his thigh injury, Galtier is expected to give Juan Bernat the left-back responsibilities. Bernat has been in excellent form lately, impressing onlookers with his offensive acumen as well as his commitment to defensive responsibilities.
Bernat completed three dribbles in the defeat against Rennes, more than any other PSG player, including the great Lionel Messi.
Central midfield: Vitinha
Marco Verratti is yet to regain optimum fitness following his muscle injury. In his absence, Vitinha is expected to control the tempo of the game against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Riyadh All-Star XI.
Vitinha has received criticism for his lack of forward momentum, which glaringly came to the fore in PSG’s upsetting defeat against Rennes. It will be interesting to see if he takes a more proactive approach at the King Fahd International Stadium on Thursday.
Defensive midfield: Danilo Pereira
Danilo Pereira was deployed on the left side of PSG’s three-man backline in the defeat against Rennes. The Portuguese struggled to find his footing in that role against Rennes and practically watched the game pass him by.
He is expected to do a lot better in his natural defensive midfield role in the Saudi Season Cup.
Central midfield: Carlos Soler
Carlos Soler is at his best in an advanced midfield role. With Vitinha setting the tempo with his short passes and Danilo operating as the anchor, Soler could get the license to venture forward more frequently on Thursday.
Soler has started twice for PSG in all competitions since the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring once.
Right wing: Lionel Messi
Newly-minted world champion Lionel Messi is set to renew his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, albeit in a much friendlier environment. In their last meeting, which came in the 2020-21 Champions League season, Cristiano Ronaldo came out on top, with him scoring a brace as Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0.
The Argentina superstar will undoubtedly try his best to avoid a similar fate this time around.
Centre-forward: Kylian Mbappe
Hugo Ekitike has served Galtier well in the last few games. But the PSG coach is unlikely to deprive fans of seeing the famous Messi-Mbappe-Neymar in action at the King Fahd International Stadium.
Mbappe has been in blistering form for the Parisians this season, scoring 20 times in 23 appearances. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with against his idol Cristiano Ronaldo’s team in Thursday’s friendly.
Left wing: Neymar
Brazilian superstar Neymar has looked like a shadow of his brilliant self since returning from the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He received a second yellow and was subsequently sent off in PSG’s 2-1 win over Strasbourg on 28 December. On 11 January, he received a yellow card against in a 2-0 victory over Angers before cutting a frustrating figure in Sunday’s (15 January) defeat against Rennes.
Like Marquinhos, Neymar must also take a step in the right direction and try to recapture his form with a confident performance against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Riyadh All-Star XI.
