Al-Nassr's rivals' special plan to stop Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Saudi Pro League game leaked - Reports
Al-Taawoun manager Pericles Chamusca has devised a special plan to silence Cristiano Ronaldo when his side face Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League this week, according to Al-Riyadiah.
After making a slow start to his life in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo netted his first goal for Al-Nassr in their 2-2 draw against Al-Fateh earlier this month. He followed it up with a stunning four-goal haul in the team's 4-0 victory over Al-Wehda in the league last week.
Having seemingly found his footing, Cristiano Ronaldo will now be determined to add to his tally in the coming weeks. He will also be keen to score his first goal at home as all five of his goals have come in away matches so far.
The Portuguese icon will thus have set his eyes on Al-Nassr's upcoming Saudi Pro League clash with Al-Taawoun. Al-Aalami are scheduled to host the fifth-placed club at Mrsool Park on Friday, February 17.
While Ronaldo will be hopeful of continuing his goalscoring streak, teams in the league are increasingly wary of the threats posed by him. Al-Taawoun manager Chamusca is among those who have started paying special attention to the forward.
According to the aforementioned source, Chamusca has come up with a special plan to keep the 38-year-old at bay on Friday. It reportedly involves making two of his best players to mark the Al-Nassr superstar.
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The Brazilian tactician has tasked midfielders Aschraf El Mahdioui and Alvaro Medran to monitor Ronaldo throughout the game. He wants the midfield duo to take turns and man-mark the forward.
Chamusca has instructed Mahdioui and Medran to cut the passing lanes for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, as per the report. Part of the plan is to also prevent the player from taking shots on goal.
The Al-Taawoun boss has reportedly spent recent days trying to rectify his team's mistakes as well. It now remains to be seen if they will succeed in silencing Ronaldo on Friday.
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in high spirits ahead of Al-Taawoun clash
While Chamusca has been preparing special tactics for Cristiano Ronaldo, Rudi Garcia has been busy getting his Al-Nassr side ready for the game as well. Al-Aalami appear to be in a good mood ahead of the Saudi Pro League match on Friday.
The Riyadh-based club notably shared a set of images from the team's training session on Tuesday, February 14. They also posted a clip of Ronaldo visibly being in a jolly mood. After several difficult months, he finally seems to be at home.