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February 26, 2024
Al-Nassr is chasing their first-ever AFC Champions League title in club history and they're counting on Ronaldo to lead the troops to glory on May 25. So far, the Portuguese forward has been crucial in almost every game the Saudi club has played in the competition...
Cristiano Ronaldo remains firmly on course to lead Al-Nassr to the AFC Champions League title after netting twice in their last-16 tie against Al-Fayha. The Portuguese striker scored the only goal in the first leg and followed up with another as the Saudi Pro League (SPL) giants completed a 3-0 aggregate success in the reverse fixture. Ronaldo capitalised on a goalkeeping error to seal the victory, tapping the ball into an empty net after Vladimir Stojkovic fluffed his intended clearance. The goal was Ronaldo's 27th in 28 appearances in all competitions this season and put the seal on a comfortable victory over Al-Nassr's Saudi Pro League counterparts.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Still fast:
A quarter-final tie against Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is now on the agenda and the Saudi Pro League side are favourites with the bookmakers to progress to the last four. Al-Ain defeated Uzbekistani side Nasaf 2-1 on aggregate in their last-16 tie, with Soufiane Rahimi's injury-time winner proving to be the difference between the two teams.
Al-Nassr will undoubtedly fancy their chances of reaching the semi-finals, where they would probably face either Al-Hilal or Al-Ittihad. The two SPL teams are on course to qualify for the quarter-finals to set up a tie which would further increase the profile of the AFC Champions League.
Ronaldo's arrival in Saudi Arabia following his exit from Manchester United was the catalyst for a wave of top players to follow him to the Middle East. Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad splashed the cash on numerous stars from the biggest leagues in Europe last summer in a bid to increase global interest in the SPL. The move has undoubtedly paid dividends, with major sponsors and broadcasters falling over themselves to jump on the Saudi Pro League bandwagon. This has had a knock-on effect on the AFC Champions League, which has received significantly more global coverage than was previously the case.
Online betting companies have also been keen to grab a piece of the action, offering extensive coverage on the SPL and AFC Champions League throughout the season. Major betting jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom and Ireland have benefited from a significant spike in turnover as punters have latched on to each of the competitions.
The leading betting sites in Ireland will undoubtedly be rubbing their hands at the prospect of Ronaldo and his team remaining in the competition.
With Al-Nassr's squad boasting several other players with Premier League experience, they have become a popular pick with UK and Irish bettors this season. While it would be foolish for punters to think the quarter-final tie is a foregone conclusion, Al-Nassr should possess too much quality for the UAE opponents.
Ronaldo has been in dazzling form this season, and has been helped in no small part by an attacking cast led by Talisca and Sadio Mane. With Aymeric Laporte, Alex Telles, Otavio and Marcelo Brozovic also in their ranks, Al-Nassr will be tough to stop in their bid to win a first-ever continental title.
Having scored five goals in six AFC Champions League appearances this season, it would be no surprise to see Ronaldo add to his tally on the way to winning another trophy...
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on February 29 for the Saudi Pro League, against Al Hazm. You can watch Al Nassr vs Al Hazm, Luton Town vs Manchester City, West Ham vs Brentford, Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United, Chelsea vs Leeds United and Liverpool vs Southampton, all matches provided from our soccer live game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Nassr vs Al Hazm kick-off time (29-02-2023):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 00:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 21:30
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+2: 19:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 18:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 17:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 14:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 13:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 12:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / foxsports.com / espn.co.uk
