How have Ronaldo, Benzema and Saudi Pro League’s big stars fared in the AFC Champions League?

By Jimmy

Already Asian football’s premier club competition, the AFC Champions League received an unprecedented injection of star power ahead of the 2023-24 season. This followed a hectic summer for some of the Saudi Pro League’s powerhouses that saw them procure a plethora of illustrious names.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to make the move at the start of the year when he moved to Al Nassr after his unceremonious departure from Manchester United. And while it initially looked like was a backward career move, that only paved the way for more to follow months on.

Fellow icons Neymar and Karim Benzema are just two that have now trekked a similar path. And, in addition to taking the SPL by storm, they will also be looking to lead the Saudi Arabian charge in the ACL.

With the group stage of the new campaign now at its halfway mark, we look at how the tournament’s new stars have fared so far.

AL HILAL

Neymar

Just when things were looking on the up for Neymar, it all came crashing back down.

Having failed to make a real impact in Al Hilal’s AFC Champions League opener, Neymar opened his account in Asian continental football by netting in their subsequent 3-0 victory over Nassaji Mazandaran.

However, that remains his solitary goal in Al Hilal colors, and it will remain that way for some time now, as the Brazil star suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury during the recent international break that is likely to keep him on the sidelines for at least eight months.

Aleksandar Mitrovic

In the absence of Neymar, it was Aleksandar Mitrovic who rose to the occasion for Al Hilal — bagging a hat-trick in a 6-0 rout of Mumbai City on Monday that kept them level on seven points with Navbahor on top of Group D.

SEE: Robbed!’ – Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher claims Messi didn’t deserve Ballon d’Or 

It was a vintage performance from the Serb as Mumbai City just could not handle his sheer presence in the penalty box. All three of his strikes came from within ten yards, although they did include a thumping header and a spectacular overhead kick.

Also on the scoresheet against Nassaji Mazandaran, Mitrovic is currently the top scorer in the ACL with four goals. He has also netted seven in eight SPL matches in what has been a dominant start to life in Riyadh.

Kalidou Koulibaly

For all the attacking talent they pursued in the summer, Al Hilal also made sure to bring in a marquee defensive reinforcement in the form of Kalidou Koulibaly — who only just 12 months before was making a similar headline-grabbing £33 million move to Chelsea.

The Senegalese has played — and helped keep clean sheets — in both the wins over Nassaji Mazandaran and Mumbai City. On the domestic front, Al Hilal boasts the joint-best defensive record in the SPL with just seven goals conceded.

But the further Al Hilal get in the ACL, they will face tougher tests. That is when Koulibaly will have to come to the fore if his new team are to avoid the similar odd lapse in concentration that ultimately proved costly as they last season’s final to Urawa Red Diamonds.

Rúben Neves

After deciding to leave the Premier League to join the Saudi Arabian football revolution, Rúben Neves has been quiet if unspectacular so far for Al Hilal.

The Portugal international has featured in all of their ten league games so far while only sitting out the continental clash with Nassaji Mazandaran. However, he does play an influential role in initiating most of Al Hilal’s eventual forays outwide — which has been their primary outlet in creating chances and goals.

Malcom

It was not too long ago that Malcom was under the bright European lights at Camp Nou for Barcelona and, while it was expected that he would play second fiddle to Neymar at Al Hilal, he has actually arguably been their standout in the attacking third this season.

The Brazilian is the only Al Hilal forward to have featured in every league game, racking up six goals in the process, while also starting in all three of their AFC Champions League ties — highlighting the trust that coach Jorge Jesus has in him.

Sergei Milinkovic-Savic

While he may not have been Al Hilal’s biggest statement of intent in the summer, the signing of Sergei Milinkovic-Savic still represented a coup given that it was not too long ago when the Serbia international was constantly being linked to some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Still only 28, Milinkovic-Savic has been a dominant presence in the engine room and also opened his ACL account on Monday — albeit with a header against less formidable opponents whom he quite literally towered over.

Yassine Bounou

After some breakout performances in Morocco’s brilliant run to the semifinals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, there was plenty of anticipation over where Yassine Bounou would venture next. He ultimately decided to sign with Al Hilal on a three-year deal.

As it is increasingly commonplace in Europe, Al Hilal looks to have adopted the policy of fielding one goalkeeper in the league and another in cup competitions. This means that while Bounou has featured eight times in the SPL, he is yet to even be named in an ACL match day squad, although the competition’s limit on foreigners would have also played a part in that.

READ: Femi Opabunmi: 6 things to know about ex-Super Eagles player who went blind playing in France

AL ITTIHAD

Fabinho

Fabinho has been a regular feature for Al Ittihad this season, featuring in nine out of ten SPL matches and also playing the full 90 minutes in their ACL opener against AGMK.

However, he has been missing since the international break. He sat out both the draw with Al Taawoun on the domestic front and Monday’s clash with Air Force Club.

Karim Benzema

Although Benzema’s record of four goals in his eight SPL games is a fairly creditable haul, he has been hampered by niggling injuries that have seen him miss two league ties and yet to play a part in Al Ittihad’s continental campaign.

Al Ittihad are currently sitting pretty on top of Group C following two consecutive wins although they have played a game less than most. This was after their match day 2 meeting with Sepahan was called off after the Saudi Arabian outfit refused to take to the field, due to a statue of an assassinated Iranian general being placed at the entrance to the pitch.

The reigning Ballon d’Or holder’s time at Al Ittihad has been far from smooth and he already has had to refute claims he is planning to return to France. He is also suffering the ignominy of canceling out his opener with an own-goal in his team’s last league outing — a 1-1 draw with Al Taawoun.

N’Golo Kanté

Faring considerably better than Benzema is compatriot N’Golo Kanté, who has featured in both Al Ittihad’s continental outings to date.

In trademark style, Kanté played a pivotal role in Monday’s dramatic 1-0 win over Air Force Club. He ventured enterprisingly down the right before swinging in a dangerous cross that was expertly trapped and converted by Abderrazak Hamdallah for a 94-minute winner.

AL NASSR

Marcelo Brozovic

Having arguably been criminally underrated throughout his career, especially while thanklessly doing the dirty work in order for Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic to excel in Croatia’s run to the 2018 World Cup final, Marcelo Brozovic has also started his Al Nassr career with little fanfare.

Yet, with his rare ability to combine the aggression of a midfield destroyer with the touch and vision of a more advanced playmaker, Brozovic will always be a coach’s dream.

That has been the case with Al Nassr boss Luis Castro deploying him in different roles in Al Nassr’s first two games in the AFC Champions League. This was before the ex-Inter Milan man missed out this week after picking up a knock while on international duty last week.

Sadio Mané

It has been a fine start to life in the SPL for Sadio Mané with six goals in ten outings so far. The former Liverpool and Bayern Munich man did however have to wait until Tuesday to open his account in Asia, as he pounced on a loose ball before firing home in Al Nassr’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Al Duhail.

Taking no time at all in forming a deadly partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo despite their respective previous allegiances to bitter rivals Liverpool and Man United, the duo look primed to take Al Nassr far in the AFC Champions League this season.

READ: Mystery Unraveled: True story behind India Vs Nigeria 99-1 match

Aymeric Laporte

Still only 29 and formerly regarded as one of the world’s best center-backs, Aymeric Laporte has started all three of Al Nassr’s ACL outings and has certainly been a handy addition — even if the numbers on the domestic front suggest they have not been at their best defensively just yet.

Prior to Tuesday’s goal bonanza with Al Duhail, Al Nassr had only conceded once in their previous two outings in the tournament but, in the SPL, they have already let in 13 goals — a significantly worse record compared to the top two of Al Hilal and Al Taawoun.

Some of that blame has to be attributed to the sheer cavalier football Al Nassr have adopted this season. However, if Laporte can just help his backline tighten things up a bit further, they could find themselves in an even stronger position in challenging for silverware on multiple fronts.

Cristiano Ronaldo

If Ronaldo had been quietly motoring along in Al Nassr’s first two games, it is safe to say he emphatically announced his arrival this week.

Having gone goalless in their opening 2-0 triumph over Persepolis, the Portuguese living legend got off the mark in the AFC Champions League when he equalized on match day 2 as Al Nassr beat Istiklol 3-1 — although the main man of that evening was arguably two-goal hero Anderson Talisca.

On Tuesday, there was however to be no preventing Ronaldo from grabbing the headlines as he notched a stunning double which would prove crucial in the win over Al Duhail. Even before finding the back of the net, Ronaldo had already provided an audacious assist for Talisca’s opener with a casual, no-look flick of the heel. Then, he decided to roll back the years even further.

First, he struck an unstoppable piledriver from the edge of the box that had the opposition goalkeeper beaten all ends up to put his side 3-0 up. Then, when Al Duhail had pulled two goals back to threaten a comeback, he mustered a first-time volley from a looping delivery that found the bottom corner with the unerring accuracy that only he is capable of — which ultimately proved the decider.