Paris Saint-Germain F.C vs Riyadh ST XI Prediction: Star men for big occasion

On Thursday, Paris Saint-Germain will meet the Riyadh All-Star XI in the Riyadh Season Cup, marking the newest chapter in the ongoing saga between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The match will take place at the King Fahd Stadium. Ronaldo is set to make his Saudi Arabia debut, and this match features a combined squad featuring talents from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal taking on the French champions.

Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar's reunion as a trio ended in disappointment on Sunday night, as they lost 1-0 to a weakened Rennes side thanks to a second-half goal from Hamari Traore. This season's Ligue 1 title battle is shaping up to be very competitive. Since PSG's unbeaten league run ended with a 3-1 loss to Lens on New Year's Day and since PSG now only has a three-point advantage over Les Sang et Or in the Ligue 1 table, the team is unlikely to be in particularly high spirits as they board the plane for Saudi Arabia. However, the race for league supremacy has been put on hold until January 29, as PSG will face Pays de Cassel of the sixth division in the last 16 of the Coupe de France on January 7 and then return to Ligue 1 action on January 29 against Reims. Even though PSG's next Champions League match is in the round of 16, against Bayern Munich, who defeated Les Parisiens in the 2020 final, on Thursday, the eyes of the sold-out audience will be on the two men who have won a combined 12 Ballon d'Or awards.

A showcase match against PSG may not have been what Ronaldo envisioned for his debut in Saudi Arabian colors, but the 37-year-old can wallow in acclaim from the first whistle until the last whistle. Ronaldo, whose second stint at Manchester United ended bitterly after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, was drawn to Saudi Arabia as he begins a new challenge in the twilight of his career, despite his lingering desire to get his hands on the Champions League trophy one last time. On Thursday, Ronaldo will find himself in good company; the Al-Nassr team he currently plays for is first in the Saudi Pro League standings with 30 points after 13 games, and the defending champions, Al-Hilal, are second with 29 points. Given the recent troubles of the Parisiens, the Riyadh All-Star XI should be focused on victory despite the fact that they will relish the occasion and feature some recognizable players in the final third beside Ronaldo.

The mood among the French champions is low at the moment, so it will be interesting to see whether Galtier names a strong or makeshift XI for this friendly encounter, which will not weigh heavily on the minds of either manager. We should expect a high-scoring and entertaining draw in the Riyadh Season Cup, as the Ronaldo-led hosts feature a bevy of famous players up front. For this reason, a tie is the most likely conclusion of the match, as doing so would show respect for the two outstanding players involved.