Al Nassr manager Stefano Pioli has heaped praise on "great champion" Cristiano Ronaldo, but warned that his side face a steep challenge against seemingly "invincible" rivals Al Hilal in the Riyadh derby.
Nassr and Ronaldo play host to Hilal on Friday night (10pm UAE time) looking to get back on track after stumbling for the first time since Pioli was appointed on September 17.
The team's 'new-manager bounce' saw them reel off seven wins in a row across all competitions before they were surprisingly held by Al Kholood in a 3-3 draw last weekend.
That was followed by a shock 1-0 home defeat by Al Taawoun in the King's Cup in midweek, a loss which also featured the rare sight of Ronaldo missing a penalty.
The footage went viral as the Portuguese legend wasted a golden opportunity to rescue his side deep into added time at the end of the game, blazing his spot-kick high over the bar where it struck a young fan and sent his mobile phone flying.
"Every challenge is an opportunity to grow," was Ronaldo's response in a message posted to his social media accounts in the aftermath of the defeat.
Pioli will hope that his star player uses the setback as motivation, with his side desperate to cut the gap on Hilal in the Saudi Pro League title race.
Jorge Jesus' side have won all eight of their league games so far to open up a three-point lead over second-placed Al Ittihad and a six-point cushion to Nassr in third.
"It will be a great experience. We face a team that seems unbeatable, that seems invincible. So, we will put ourselves to the test," said Pioli of the task awaiting him in what will be his first taste of the Riyadh derby.
"For sure, it’s a very important game. It is clear that the standings could take one way or another based on the result. So, if we put together the importance of the match at an atmosphere level, and the importance of the match at the level of the standings, it is clear that it will be the most important match of this period. We will prepare ourselves the best way to be ready.
"I have been hearing about [the derby] since I arrived. We expect a very warm atmosphere, very beautiful. Because those who do this sport can't wait to get on the field to face certain types of matches, with everything you feel in an important match. For sure, it will be a beautiful experience."
In Ronaldo, Pioli has a player who has proved decisive in some of the world's greatest derby fixtures, but is still winless in six attempts against Hilal.
So far, a Ronaldo-led Nassr have managed one draw and five defeats in all competitions against their crosstown rivals, with their talisman managing just the one goal.
Pioli, though, is confident his 39-year-old captain can still produce in the big games, and says he has found Ronaldo's undimmed passion and work ethic to be a "pleasant surprise".
"Of course, I have always thought that Cristiano is a great champion," said Pioli. "But above all, a great professional with a great work ethic, a great culture of always trying to express oneself to the maximum.
"And therefore, I am discovering a boy who is no longer young, but with the same enthusiasm, with the same passion. When he was a kid, he wanted to do things, in wanting to always try to give the best, to reach the maximum, to score many goals and help the team. So, definitely a pleasant surprise."
Pioli, 59, a well-travelled and versatile defender in his playing days, served a long apprenticeship as a youth coach and in Serie B in his homeland before graduating to manage some of Italy's biggest clubs. He arrived in Saudi Arabia after five years at AC Milan where he won the league in 2022 to end the Rossoneri's 11-year wait for the Scudetto.
Pioli led Milan to second place and Champions League qualification in his final season in charge and spent just four months out of the game before being lured to the kingdom to replace Luis Castro.
"I was very happy when Al Nassr contacted me because I wanted to start a new experience, different from the 20 years of coaching I had in Italy," said Pioli
"They convinced me because Al Nassr is an important club, they have ambitions. Because the management with whom I spoke, I felt trust, I felt they want to grow and want to improve. The fact that there is Cristiano in the team was also an important thing and so I accepted very willingly with a lot of enthusiasm, with a great desire to be able to do well."
Asked about his methods and how they might translate to the Saudi Pro League, Pioli added: "It is clear that since I started, that was 25 years ago, I have changed a lot.
"Every experience has taught me, every group. Every team is different, every player is different. My philosophy is to try to improve the players that I have available, this is the main objective.
"And then to create a work culture, to create a game mentality. To create, above all, the environment where we all try to give our best to always get more."
With Al Ittihad experiencing an upturn in results under Laurent Blanc, a victory for Nassr on Friday could potentially spark a three-way title race in the kingdom. Defeat, however, would be a major blow to any hopes of overhauling a Hilal team who finished 14 points clear of them at the summit last term.
Pioli accepts it will be tough but remains hopeful of pushing for honours in a league that is becoming increasingly competitive.
"We are very motivated to try to be competitive, to try to win," he said. "Al Nassr is a big club, an historic club in Saudi Arabia. It is clear that we have very strong rivals, but we want to reach that level.
"I think [the league] is growing a lot," he added. "I think clubs are getting better and better structured. To develop their potential, both in terms of structure at the level of the individual sportsmen, but also to management and teams. I think that the level of the players is certainly a good level and therefore I think that there is everything to continue to grow to become an increasingly important championship."
