SOCCER
Mitrovic threatens Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese superstar goalscorer has been the headline act in the Saudi Super League but the Serbian striker looks to be his main threat.
Cristiano Ronaldo, possibly unsurprisingly, has started the Saudi Pro League season in strong goal-scoring form, netting twice in two games. However, Serbian forward Aleksandar Mitrovic is emerging as the primary threat to Ronaldo’s reign.
Mitrovic to challenge Ronaldo
Al Hilal has already taken the first title of the season from the Portuguese star, in a match where the former Fulham striker scored a brace, showing that his instincts in front of goal remain sharp and that he is aiming for the top scorer title this time around.
Mitrovic has notched 30 goals in Saudi Arabia, still a long way short from the 51 goals Ronaldo has scored since joining Al Nassr. However, Mitrovic boasts a better goal-scoring average than the former Real Madrid star in the Middle East. Mitrovic scores a goal every 81 minutes, surpassing Ronaldo, who finds the net every 84 minutes in the league, despite the Portuguese player’s record-breaking season.
Mitrovic starts scoring strong in Saudi
Mitrovic has started the season in dominant form, already scoring five goals in the three matches he’s played across all competitions. This includes the Saudi Super Cup, where Al Hilal secured the title by defeating Al Nassr, and the first round of the Saudi Pro League.
The Serbian striker kicked off with a double in Al Hilal’s 3-0 victory over Al-Akhdood Club, and he now aims to continue his impressive run on Wednesday when his team faces Damac in Al Hilal’s home debut for the new season. It’s early days, but this could be an exciting head-to-head to keep an eye on.
The last time Al Hilal lost to a Saudi Arabian club was on August 12, 2023 – over a year ago – when they were defeated by Al Nassr in the final of the Arab Club Champions Cup, a non-official tournament. In the league, the last club to beat Al Hilal was Al Sadd, on July 30, 2023.