Ronaldo's Al-Nassr to face Dubai club Shabab Al-Ahli today

Cristiano Ronaldo gets his first taste of Asian competition on Tuesday as Al-Nassr meet Shabab Al-Ahli of Dubai in a Champions League preliminary round playoff with the rest of the continent wondering if big-spending Saudi Arabian clubs can be stopped.

Al-Nassr finished second in their domestic league last season but since signing the five-time Ballon D’Or winner in December, has added more stars this summer. Marcelo Brozkovic, Sadio Mane, Alex Telles and Seko Fofana have arrived from Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Lens respectively.

The club have lost their first two games of the new Saudi Professional League season and Shabab Al-Ahli may be champions of the UAE but Al-Nassr are still seen as a strong favourite to progress to the group stage, especially as the single elimination game will take place at their Riyadh home.

“In the past, only Japanese and South Korean clubs could compete with Saudi clubs,” Roel Coumans, who left his position as head coach of Saudi Arabian club Abha in the summer, told Associated Press.

“The gap with Saudi teams will become bigger and bigger.”

During his time with Abha, the Dutch tactician grew accustomed to the underdog role while taking on the likes of Al-Nassr. “Now, from ten games in the Asian Champions League, eight will be won by Saudi teams but it is a matter of preparation and you need a belief that you can achieve your ambition and of course you need a little bit of luck.”

If Al-Nassr defeat Shabab Al-Ahli, it will give Saudi Arabia four teams in the group stage that starts in September and they will present formidable opposition for the rest of the continent's contenders.

Al-Hilal, which have a record four Asian titles, have signed Brazilian superstar Neymar and Fulham striker Aleksander Mitrovic in the past week, with Al-Ittihad adding FIFA Ballon D’Or holder Karim Benzama from Real Madrid as well as N’Golo Kante and Fabinho from Chelsea and Liverpool.

Earlier in August, the new strength of the leading Saudi Arabian teams was clear for all to see at the Arab Club Cup as rivals from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and elsewhere in the region struggled to compete.

Saudi Arabia dominated the 16-team tournament with three of the four representatives reaching the last four. Al-Nassr lifted the trophy, defeating Riyadh rival Al-Hilal in the final with Ronaldo finishing as tournament top scorer.

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