Pakhtakor vs Al Nassr today: Ronaldo rested for Tashkent trip
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in Tashkent today. He is rested, not injured.
- Coach Ange Postecoglou also left out Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan.
- Ronaldo has 985 career goals after Thursday's hat trick, 15 short of 1,000.
No, Cristiano Ronaldo is not playing today. He is not injured. Al Nassr coach Ange Postecoglou has decided to rest him for the AFC Champions League Elite trip to Pakhtakor in Tashkent.
The long trip to Uzbekistan made the rotation call easy.
What happened
Al Nassr travel to Uzbekistan on Monday, November 2. They face Pakhtakor at the Pakhtakor Central Stadium in the AFC Champions League Elite league phase. Kickoff is set for 8:45 AM Eastern Time, according to USA Today.
Ronaldo did not travel with the squad. Postecoglou left him out along with winger Kingsley Coman and defender Mohamed Simakan. The Australian coach made the call after a heavy run of matches and long travel.
"I decided to rest Ronaldo, Coman and Simakan, given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved," Postecoglou said at his pre-match press conference, as reported by USA Today. He spoke to reporters in Tashkent before the game.
The decision comes just three days after Ronaldo's best game of the season. He scored a hat trick in Al Nassr's 5-3 Saudi Pro League win over Al Kholood on Thursday, October 29. You can read how that wild 5-3 win over Al Kholood unfolded in our match explainer.
That treble took Ronaldo to 985 career goals, per USA Today. He is now just 15 goals away from 1,000. If he reaches it, he would be the first player ever to score 1,000 goals in official senior matches. His chase for the record will have to wait for the next game.
The 41-year-old has been a regular starter this season. Sportstar reports nine goals in 12 appearances for the club this campaign. Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah, cited by Gulf News, says the rest plan is about managing player fatigue across domestic and continental matches.
There has been no confirmed report of an injury. Ronaldo is expected to be available for Friday's Saudi Pro League match against Al Hazem, according to both Gulf News and USA Today.
Why it matters
This is a big test of Al Nassr's squad depth. Without their biggest star, players like Joao Felix and Sadio Mane must carry the attack. Felix was brilliant on Thursday, providing four assists in the same 5-3 win, Gulf News reports.
Al Nassr need the points. They sit ninth in the West group of the league phase, according to Sports Mole. Only the top eight in each group reach the knockout stage.
The Saudi champions have been strong lately. Postecoglou has overseen 11 wins, one draw and two defeats in his 14 matches in charge, Sports Mole reports. They bounced back from a 4-0 defeat to Al-Ain in their Champions League opener with a five-game winning run.
Pakhtakor are tough at home, though. They have lost just one of their last 13 competitive home games, Sports Mole notes. They sit one point behind Al Nassr in 12th place.
They reached the league phase through a playoff, beating Al-Hussein 3-0. They have since drawn with Al-Ahli and Al-Qadiash and lost to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.
Dostonbek Khamdamov is their main danger. He has scored 13 goals in 30 appearances this season, according to Sports Mole. Coach Kamoliddin Tajiev's side ended a four-match winless run with a 1-0 league win on Friday.
There is also a wider story around this tournament. Al Nassr's last continental match was postponed after Al Wasl declined to travel to Riyadh, which is why the postponed Riyadh tie happened. An October 12 home game was delayed an hour after reports of missile strikes, per Sportstar.
Who plays instead
With Ronaldo, Coman and Simakan rested, others get their chance. Midfielder Samu Costa returns after serving a one-match ban for yellow cards. Young forward Abdulrahman Sufyani has joined the travelling squad, Gulf News reports.
Sports Mole lists Al Nassr's likely lineup with Bento in goal, Joao Felix and Sadio Mane leading the attack, and Angelo, Ghareeb, Costa and Al-Hamdan in midfield. Sports Mole predicts a 1-1 draw, calling Pakhtakor hard to beat at home.
The kickoff will stream on the AFC Hub on YouTube, subject to regional restrictions, according to USA Today.
What happens next
If Al Nassr win without Ronaldo, it strengthens Postecoglou's case that the squad can cope without its star. A defeat or draw would add pressure ahead of the knockout race. They are aiming for a first-ever Asian title, per Sportstar.
The club remains in the Saudi title race at home too. USA Today reports a 9W-1D-1L record in 11 league games, sitting third and two points behind Al-Hilal. The defending champions won the league under Jorge Jesus last season, and Postecoglou took over after his exit, Sports Mole reports.
Ronaldo should return for Al Hazem on Friday, November 6. The record chase resumes then. Our earlier piece on Ronaldo's red-hot October form shows how central he has been to their attack.
For today, the question is simple. Can Al Nassr win in Tashkent without their greatest player? The answer arrives on Monday evening.
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