Al-Taawoun goalkeeper Mailson has admitted that he is excited about the prospect of facing Cristiano Ronaldo when his team take on Al-Nassr this week.
After a slow start to his life in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo seems to have taken a step forward. He has found the back of the net five times in Al-Nassr’s last two matches, including an impressive four-goal run against Al-Wehda.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner will be determined to add more to his tally in the coming weeks. He will be hoping to score his first home goal when al aalami will face Al-Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League at Mrsool Park on Friday, February 17.
However, one man has set his sights on keeping Ronaldo at bay and helping his team cause an upset over Al-Nassr in the process. Mailson, Al-Taawoun’s first-choice goalkeeper, is set to make life difficult for the Portuguese icon on Friday.
Speaking before the match, the goalkeeper revealed that everyone on the Wolves pitch is keen to try themselves against the striker. He also admitted that facing the 38-year-old will be a dream moment for him. He told the Brazilian media ge.globo:
They always say: ‘We are going to face Cristiano’, ‘It’s Cristiano’s game’. Everyone is looking forward to that moment. [You] Get that adrenaline rush. But at the same time, you have to put anxiety aside and give it your all in practice. playing against [a player of] such a high level is a dream come true.”
Mailson confessed that he has been excited to face Ronaldo since the moment the superstar joined Al-Nassr. He said:
“From the moment he came to Arabia, I said: ‘I can’t believe I’m going up against the best in the world.'”
Al-Nassr midfielder Luiz Gustavo recently explained how Ronaldo’s presence has made life difficult for Al-Aalami as opponents are more motivated to beat them. Mailson testified to the same. He stated:
“Many people say they want to beat Cristiano.”
It now remains to be seen if Mailson will be successful in his efforts to keep Cristiano Ronaldo at bay.
Al-Taawoun has devised a special plan to stop Cristiano Ronaldo
Al-Nassr’s rivals in the Saudi Pro League are becoming increasingly aware of the threats posed by Cristiano Ronaldo. Al-Taawoun manager Pericles Chamusca has come up with a ‘special plan’ to restrict the player on Friday.
The Brazilian tactician has reportedly tasked two of his best midfielders, Aschraf El Mahdioui and Alvaro Medran, with marking the striker. Players have been advised to prevent passes from reaching the al aalami superstar, while also preventing him from taking shots on goal.