Cristiano Ronaldo will turn 40 on Wednesday, but he is still showing great form as he gets ready to lead Saudi club Al-Nassr against Al-Wasl in the Asian Football Confederation’s Champions League Elite.
The Portuguese forward, who joined Al-Nassr in December 2022, is currently the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League with 15 goals in 17 games.
If Ronaldo can keep up his good performance in the continental tournament, with two group stage games left and his team already qualified, Al-Nassr could have a chance to win the Asian title for the first time.
“The best birthday gift for Ronaldo is to achieve victory against Al-Wasl,” said Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli before the match on Monday. “It is an important match for us and we want the three points.”
Ronaldo, who has won the UEFA Champions League five times with Manchester United and Real Madrid, now has a better chance of winning his first Asian title with Al-Nassr’s recent signing of Jhon Duran from Aston Villa in the English Premier League for around $79 million.
Reports in Saudi Arabia say Duran has already been registered in time to play against Al-Wasl from the United Arab Emirates.
“Duran is in good shape,” Pioli said. “We will decide how best to use him.”
The team will miss former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, who is absent for personal reasons, as well as defender Ali Lajami and midfielder Otavio, who are both dealing with injuries.
Al-Nassr is currently in third place in its 12-team group, behind Saudi rivals Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli, both of which are unbeaten after six games.
Al-Hilal has won four continental titles, more than any other club in Asia. However, they will be without Neymar for their match against Persepolis of Iran. Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, returned to South America after an injury-filled period where he only played seven times in 18 months for Al-Hilal.
“We are looking forward to the game,” said coach Jorge Jesus. “Our ambitions are always to win at home and in Asia.”
Al-Ahli, which includes former Premier League stars like Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney, has the offensive strength to win the Champions League for the first time. The Jeddah-based team is currently in second place and will face Al-Sadd in Qatar.
All 12 teams in the western zone of the tournament are still in the running to finish in the top eight and move on to the knockout stage.
The eastern zone will resume next week.
