Is something still holding back Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr “super team” even after a prolific summer transfer window?

There still appears to be a prominent issue in the Al-Nassr "super team". (Image credits - CommonsWikipedia, License Details)

Al-Nassr have assembled quite a squad to lead their charge to finally claim the Saudi Pro League title, having acquired several top talents to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season. As per reports, Nassr have splurged around €60 million on the signings of Joao Felix, Indigo Martinez, Kingsley Coman, and Abdulmalik Al-Jaber so far this summer.

The arrivals of Felix and Coman come as a major boost to the Al-Nassr attack and provide the much-needed support to captain and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo upfront, while Martinez’s addition adds a layer of experience and quality in the backline, which was considered to be the weak link for the Riyadh giants in their previous campaign. 

While the perks of such additions seem very evident, Al-Nassr’s disappointing defeat against Al-Ahli in the final of the Saudi Super Cup on Saturday indicated that there is still a prominent issue which could potentially hold back this “super team” from lifting silverware next season.

Is midfield the new weak link for Al-Nassr?

Al-Ahli’s comeback against Al-Nassr was surely an exciting watch unless you were a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and co., for whom it was really a tough pill to swallow. Having taken the late lead, thanks to Marcelo Brozovic’s 82nd minute strike, it began to look like an almost certain victory for Nassr; they couldn’t stop Ahli from scoring another equaliser and taking the game to penalties, which were eventually won by them. 

Al-Ahli managed to register just two shots on goal, which showcased the strength of Al-Nassr’s newly built defence and the impact that Inigo Martinez had on his debut. Unfortunately for them, both of Al-Ahli’s shots on target found the back of the net. 

However, despite being able to manage just two shots on goal, Ahli managed to create multiple dangerous-looking attacks, especially from the centre of the pitch, where their midfielders Frank Kessie and Enzo Milliot, in particular, outplayed the Al-Nassr midfield during several attacking transitions, which caused major problems for the defence as well. 

As a result, several questions were raised about Jesus Jorge’s midfield, which has appeared to be too attack-centric since the integration of Joao Felix, leaving them vulnerable at the middle of the park during defensive situations. 

On top of that, Marcelo Brozovic’s advanced role, while significantly helping the attack, left the midfield exposed during many counterattacks on Saturday, while also putting his midfield partner Abdullah Al-Khaibari in a difficult position on a frequent basis.

Brozovic’s attacking involvement was an evident issue during the previous campaign as well; however, one could argue and say that it was a compulsion for Al-Nassr back then.