Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Al-Nassr against Al-Khaleej tonight?
Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to play when Al-Nassr take on Al-Khaleej away from home in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday, April 27. This will be the first of two consecutive games the Knights of Najd play against Al-Khaleej in all competitions.
Al-Nassr come into the game on the back of a 3-1 win over Al-Fayha, with Sadio Mane netting a brace on that occasion. Ronaldo, meanwhile, was suspended for the game following his red card against Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup earlier this month.
According to a Saudi Arabian journalist, Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to return to the team which will face Al-Khaleej on Saturday. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner will serve just a one-match suspension and will return to action.
Should Ronaldo play on Saturday evening, he will most likely start and lead Al-Nassr's attack against Al-Khaleej. The Portugal skipper could be partnered alongside the likes of Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Sadio Mane.
Al-Nassr are currently second in the Saudi Pro League standings, having picked up 68 points from 28 matches. They are nine points behind league leaders Al-Hilal who do have a game in hand over their title rivals.
Al-Khaleej, on the other hand, are 11th in the standings and have picked up 35 points from their 28 matches in the league. They come into the game against the Riyadh giants without a win in their last matches.
Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo have two back-to-back matches coming up against Al-Khaleej. Following their league encounter, the two sides will once again lock horns in the semifinals of the Kings Cup on May 1.
How did Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo perform against Al-Khaleej earlier this season?
Cristiano Ronaldo formed part of the Al-Nassr team which secured a 2-0 victory over Al-Khaleej in the league back in November. The former Manchester United superstar was involved in both of the goals his side scored on that occasion.
Ronaldo scored and assisted the other in that 2-0 victory. He opened the scoring in the 26th minute before turning provider to Aymeric Laporte in the second half.
Cristiano Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes and had a total of four shots in the game of which three were on target. He ended the game with a pass completion rate of 94 percent and had a total of 45 touches. He, however, did lose possession on eight separate occasions and was also caught offside twice during the course of the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo is having a great season in Saudi Arabia. The superstar forward has contributed 36 goals and 12 assists from 37 matches across all competitions. This includes a tally of 29 goals and 10 assists from just 25 matches in the Saudi Pro League.