Al Nassr resumes AFC Champions League Two action against Al Zawraa at the legendary Al-Zawraa Stadium in Baghdad, but all eyes are on one man: Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star missed his team’s opening 5-0 win over FC Istiklol, but his absence did not slow down the Saudi team much. Al Nassr is now sitting comfortably on top of Group D and looks forward to keeping the momentum going in their second competition game.
Fans and analysts are asking whether Ronaldo will be involved this time. Although he is a regular in the Saudi Pro League, where he last scored in the 2-0 league victory against Al Ittihad, the 39-year-old forward has not been seen in this competition. His omission has raised speculations about whether the club is giving him a workload rest or planning to have him restfully at home.
The fact that Al Nassr played so well without their talisman indicates that there is more than Ronaldo to the squad. The emergence of players such as Sadio Mane and Anderson Talisca has played the role of providing goals to the team and this has shown that the team does not depend on a single superstar. Nevertheless, the appearance of Ronaldo certainly increases the stakes not only for rivals but also for the entire world audience.
However, by playing Ronaldo in the field this evening, Al Nassr will signal that they will also approach this competition with seriousness, just like they have approached their domestic league. However, when he is not present, coach Luis Castro might hold him back until later and more decisive matches. In any case, there is enough worldwide interest in this game due to the enigma surrounding Ronaldo.
