2023-12-26 17:30:00
Gallardo and Ronaldo cross for Saudi Pro League date 18 (Gettyimages)
The Prince Abdullah al-Faisal stadium in Jeddah is the scene of a high-profile confrontation this Tuesday for matchday 17 of the Saudi Arabian league, where Al Ittihad, led by Argentine Marcelo Gallardo, faces Al Nassr, a team that It has figures of the stature of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané.
For the doll, it is an unprecedented challenge since his arrival in Saudi football: facing the Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, considered one of the greats of world football. This duel comes in the middle of a delicate moment for the former River Plate coach, following suffering two consecutive defeats in the league, the last once morest Al Raed, which placed his team in a compromising situation in terms of qualification aspirations for competitions. international.
Currently, Al Ittihad occupies sixth position in the table, with 28 points, far from the leading positions that guarantee access to continental tournaments (the first three). The league is led by Al Hilal, which has 50 points and in its ranks has the injured Neymar and the Moroccan goalkeeper Bono, followed by Al Nassr, which accumulates 40 points, and Al Ahli, with 37 points and the presence of the Algerian and former Manchester City, Riyad Mahrez.
The plot of the match is thickened by the presence of Karim Benzema, CR7’s former teammate in Real Madrid’s attack, with whom he shared countless successes, including 4 UEFA Champions Leagues and 2 Spanish Leagues. Now, faced in a totally different context, both have the opportunity to revive old rivalries under the Saudi sky.
Cristiano Ronaldo, at 38 years old, continues to demonstrate extraordinary scoring ability, reaching the figure of 51 goals so far this year between his club and the national team. He is currently the top scorer in the Saudi Arabian league with 17 goals, leading the table above Serbian Alexander Mitrovic, a former Premier League player, who follows closely with 16 goals. Benzema, for his part, has not yet achieved the expected performance in Jeddah, with 9 goals and 4 assists, added to 2 additional goals in the Club World Cup.
Luis Castro’s team, Al Nassr, in addition to having Ronaldo’s star, lines up other internationally recognized names such as the Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte, the Croatian Marcelo Brozovic, and the Senegalese Sadio Mané, adding even more interest to a match that will undoubtedly capture the attention of football fans around the world.
Formations
Al Nassr: Nawaf Al-Aqidi; Sultan Al-Ghanam, Ali Al-Oujami, Aymeric Laporte, Alex Telles; Marcelo Brozovic, Seko Fofana; Anderson Talisca, Otávio, Sadio Mané; and Cristiano Ronaldo. DT: Luis Castro.
Al-Ittihad: Abdullah Al-Mayouf; Marwan Al-Sahafi, Hassan Kadesh, Fabinho, Zakaria Hawsawi; Faisal Al-Ghamdi, N’Golo Kanté; Romarinho; Abderrazak Hamdallah, Igor Coronado; And Karim Benzema. DT: Marcelo Gallardo.
HOUR:
12.00 Mexico City.
13.00 Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Miami (United States).
14.00 Bolivia and Venezuela.
15.00 Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Brazil.
1703612322
#Ittihad #Marcelo #Gallardo #Benzema #receives #Nassr #Cristiano #Ronaldo #key #match #Arab #League
