Cristiano Ronaldo sparked a 3-1 win over Al Faisaly, netting the second goal to push his career total to 982. Can you believe the legend still adds to his record? The triumph, however, masks a looming setback for the Saudi giants.
Ange Postecoglou’s squad will miss midfielder Samu Costa in the league clash with Al Kholood after the Portuguese earned a suspension for piling up yellow cards.
Costa collected his fourth booking of the season in the Al Faisaly victory, triggering an automatic one‑match ban. Earlier cautions came against Al Ittihad, Al Khaleej and Neom.
The midfielder has featured heavily this campaign, logging nine league games, eight as a starter, and tallying three goals. He was omitted from the August trip to Al Riyadh for squad‑management reasons.
Samu Costa of Al Nassr. (Getty Images)
Who could step into Costa’s midfield role for Al Nassr?
Costa has partnered with Abdullah Al‑Khaibari in recent fixtures, leaving Ange Postecoglou to scout a new duo for the Al Kholood test. One fallback is Angelo, who started the 1-0 win over Neom and later came off the bench versus Al Faisaly. In my view, Postecoglou’s options are limited.
Ronaldo climbs into Saudi Pro League top‑10 scorers after Al Nassr’s 3-1 win over Al Faisaly
The Brazilian adds an attacking edge, usually drifting from midfield toward the opposition goal. Deploying him in Costa’s stead would boost creativity and forward thrust, though it might sacrifice the balance Costa normally offers.
If Postecoglou wants to mimic Costa’s profile, he could turn to Sami Al‑Najei and Hayder Abdulkareem, both of whom came off the bench against Al Faisaly. Costa remains eligible for Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League Elite tie with Al‑Wasl on Oct. 26, as his suspension applies only to the next league match.