The latest instalment of the perennial Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry takes place on Thursday, as Paris Saint-Germain travel to the King Fahd Stadium to face a Riyadh All-Star XI in the Riyadh Season Cup.
The encounter sees a selection of stars from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal join forces to tackle the French champions, as Ronaldo prepares to make his bow in Saudi Arabia.
Match preview
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Preparing to wear the captain's armband as he steps out onto the field in Saudi Arabian colours for the first time, a glamour tie with PSG may not be what Ronaldo envisaged for his debut, but the 37-year-old can bask in adulation from the first whistle until the last.
Despite his lingering desire to get his hands on the Champions League trophy one last time, Ronaldo - whose second spell at Manchester United came to a bitter end following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan - was lured to Saudi Arabia as he embarks on a new challenge in the twilight of his career.
Ronaldo will be in satisfactory company on Thursday, as the Portuguese's Al-Nassr side sit at the top of the Saudi Pro League standings with 30 points to their name from 13 games this term, while Al-Hilal - the defending champions - are just one point behind in second with 29.
With several recognisable names in the final third alongside Ronaldo, the Riyadh All-Star XI will no doubt enjoy the occasion against Christophe Galtier's men, but thoughts of victory should be at the forefront of their minds given the Parisiens' recent struggles.
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A title race is most certainly on the cards in Ligue 1 this term, as the reunion of the Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar trifecta ended in misery during a 1-0 defeat to a depleted Rennes side on Sunday evening, where Hamari Traore scored the only goal of the game in the second half.
Having firstly seen their unbeaten league run come to an end with a 3-1 loss to Lens on New Year's Day, PSG can now only boast a three-point lead over Les Sang et Or at the top of the Ligue 1 table, so will not exactly be in high spirits when they board the plane to Saudi Arabia.
However, the race for glory in the top flight has been pushed to the back of PSG's minds until January 29, as they will meet sixth-tier side Pays de Cassel in the Coupe de France last 16 next Monday before returning to Ligue 1 action versus Reims in two weeks' time.
A Champions League last-16 battle with Bayern Munich - who beat Les Parisiens in the 2020 final - also awaits PSG heading into the spring months, but a sold-out crowd will only have eyes on the two men with 12 Ballon d'Or crowns between them on Thursday.
Team News
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Ronaldo should skipper the Riyadh All-Star XI from the number nine spot this week, but another ex-Manchester United forward in Odion Ighalo is also set to be involved and could possibly push the five-time Ballon d'Or winner into a wide role.
Other standout attacking names in the Saudi ranks are Moussa Marega, Anderson Talisca and Andre Carillo, but Vincent Aboubakar has supposedly seen his Al-Nassr contract terminated in the wake of Ronaldo's signing.
Salem Al-Dawsari - who came up with a stunning World Cup goal for Saudi Arabia against Messi's Argentina - should also feature, but Al-Nassr goalkeeper David Ospina is out with an elbow injury.
As for PSG, it would not be surprising to see Galtier take a strong squad to Saudi Arabia before putting out a second-string XI in the Coupe de France, so Messi may very well come face to face with Ronaldo from the first whistle.
However, Presnel Kimpembe will not be involved due to injury, and Galtier will also avoid taking any risks over Nuno Mendes and Marco Verratti. Pablo Sarabia, meanwhile, has completed a permanent move to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
After keeping faith with Hugo Ekitike against Rennes, Galtier could give the King Fahd crowd what they want with the Messi-Mbappe-Neymar trident lining up from the first whistle, and second-choice goalkeeper Keylor Navas can also take in his surroundings amid claims that Ronaldo wants to bring the Costa Rican goalkeeper to Al-Nassr.
Riyadh All-Star XI possible starting lineup:
Al-Owais; Abdulhamid, Gonzalez, Hyun-soo, Konan; Cuellar, Al-Faraj, Talisca; Carillo, Ighalo, Ronaldo
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Navas; Hakimi, Ramos, Bitshiabu, Bernat; Vitinha, Sanches, Soler; Messi; Mbappe, Neymar
We say: Riyadh All-Star XI 2-2 Paris Saint-Germain
The result of this friendly match - which will not weigh heavily on the minds of either manager - will undoubtedly hinge on whether Galtier decides to name a strong or makeshift XI, but the French champions are not high on morale right now.
With the Ronaldo-led hosts boasting plenty of household names up front, we can anticipate an entertaining and high-scoring stalemate in the Riyadh Season Cup.
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Ben Knapton
