Ronaldo, Al-Nassr lead: 5 things learned from latest round of Roshn Saudi League matches

It was a landmark weekend for the Roshn Saudi League as Cristiano Ronaldo finally made his debut for leaders Al-Nassr. As the season reaches its halfway stage, here are five things that Arab News learned from the latest round of games.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo looks happy

Ronaldo was active as Al-Nassr defeated Ettifaq 1-0 to move back to the top of the table above Al-Hilal. The Portuguese star did not score but showed his talent and footballing intelligence more than once. He also showed a smile.

Al-Nassr boss Rudi Garcia, said: “It’s up to us to make sure we get him in the best condition. I want him to enjoy playing here — tonight he was happy to play for the first time.”

It was striking that the 37-year-old looked like he wanted to be there. This comes after months of frustration at Manchester United. Ronaldo came close several times and was there pulling a few strings, and whether the moves came off or not, there was a wry smile.

There was also plenty of encouragement for team-mates and the signs are that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will become a leader on the pitch. It bodes well for Al-Nassr’s title challenge as they have a player who has won everything there is to win at club level.

2. Al-Hilal out of spotlight for once but looking ominous

The champions have not been at their best this season so far but earlier on Sunday defeated Abha 2-1 to go top, temporarily, before Al-Nassr returned to the summit.

With all the attention on the debut of Ronaldo, there was something of a low-key feeling in Riyadh with plenty of gaps in the stadium.

It was not a vintage performance on the pitch either, but the other teams will know that as long as Al-Hilal are around in the title race, then nothing can be taken for