Winter Report: Ronaldo still firing Al Nassr, Al Ahli rally, Al Juwayr shining at Al Shabab

With the 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League paused for winter, we look at how each club has performed until this point.

Who’s been the team's biggest contributor? Which signings have proved astute signings? Which of their RSL game stands out most? How well has the manager moulded his side? And, perhaps most importantly, what can the club rightfully aim for when the RSL returns on January 9?

We'll break up the assessments in groups of three, based on the league standings after Matchweek 13. Next up, the clubs placed fourth to sixth in the table.

Al Nassr (4th, 25 points)

Last season’s runners-up have gone through a period of change, none more so than in the dugout, with Stefano Pioli replacing Luis Castro in September. Al Nassr have maybe fallen behind a little in the title race – two defeats in three RSL outings has stung – but, with one of the division's best-stocked sides, they shouldn’t be ruled out from making another charge. Certainly, they would consider their current position of fourth rather underwhelming.

Key Player: Cristiano Ronaldo – who else but the Portuguese superstar? Last season’s golden boot winner, who broke the record for goals in a single RSL season, has for the most part maintained his mastery in front of goal, with his 10 from 12 league appearances bettered only by Al Hilal's Aleksandar Mitrovic. Ronaldo is absolutely crucial to Al Nassr’s chances of both a stellar domestic campaign and concluding the season with silverware.

Standout Signing: Mohamed Simakan – the French defender made the move from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig late in the transfer window, but has been superb through his 10 RSL appearances. The 24-year-old has settled seamlessly into the centre of the Al Nassr backline, forming a rock-solid partnership with Aymeric Laporte. A real fan favourite already.

Best Match: Al Ettifaq 0-3 Al Nassr – Matchweek 4 pitted against one another two teams possessing 100 percent starts to the campaign, with the hosts perhaps favourites given the game marked Pioli’s first in charge at Al Nassr. However, the visitors simply blew away Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq.

Ronaldo put Al Nassr ahead on 33 minutes from the penalty spot, before Salem Al Najdi doubled his side's lead not long into the second half. It left Anderson Talisca to wrap up the points 20 minutes from time. Former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane was the star, though, with two assists.

Manager’s Impact: Stefano Pioli – appointed between Matchweek 3 and 4, the former AC Milan manager had an immediate effect. The Italian won his first four RSL matches, but Al Nassr have seen their title challenge stutter, especially with a draw at Al Kholood in Matchweek 8 and those two defeats. Still getting his ideas across, Pioli has injected a vibrancy into the side, especially with giving more game-time to young wingers Angelo and Wesley.

Hopes: Even given the 11-point gap to the top, Al Nassr will not be giving up on the top-flight trophy just yet. It does look a long shot, so reeling in Al Qadsiah will occupy their immediate minds before they can think about taking on Al Hilal and Al Ittihad. Ronaldo, meanwhile, will for sure be intent on retaining the RSL golden boot he won in spectacular fashion last term.

Al Ahli (5th, 23 points)

After finishing third upon their return to the RSL last season, the Jeddah heavyweights did not begin the campaign well; at one point they had slipped into the bottom half. However, Matthias Jaissle’s side have rallied recently, winning five of their past seven in the competition. Their sole defeat came at home to rivals Al Ittihad in the Sea Derby in Matchweek 9 – and that was by a single goal. As such, Al Ahli are up to fifth, with the promise of what’s the come when the league resumes next month.

Key Player: Franck Kessie - the Cote d'Ivoire international has been a driving force from the centre of the pitch once more, featuring in all but one of Al Ahli's 13 RSL matches. There's been only one goal to show for his endeavour, although that almost secured a huge victory at Al Nassr in Matchweek 3 only for the hosts to steal a point through an own goal nine minutes into injury-time. Kessie, however, remains the engine to an Al Ahli that's begun to purr.

Standout Signing: Ivan Toney – with only two additions to the squad in the summer transfer window, it’s a pretty straightforward pick. Toney represented a substantially more high-profile signing than Brazilian youngster Aleksandar, joining from English Premier League club Brentford. The England international has scored only three times in 10 RSL appearances, but his form on the continent – four in his past two – suggests there’s much more to come.

Best Match: Al Taawoun 2-4 Al Ahli – this may smack a little of recency bias, but Al Ahli’s victory in Buraidah just before the break spoke of a team now fully in their groove. Al Taawoun came into the clash having lost only two of their past 12 matches across all competitions, and with the added carrot of a win taking them above Al Ahli in the table.

The home side even went 2-0 up within the opening 23 minutes. However, Roger Ibanez reduced the deficit deep into first-half stoppage-time before Al Ahli ran away with it after the break, thanks to Feras Al Buraikan, Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez.

Manager’s Impact: Matthias Jaissle – the innovative German, still only 36 years-old, came in for a significant amount of criticism following Al Ahli’s inauspicious start. He rode the storm well, though, to emerge on the other side with his players clearly clicking heading into the winter hiatus. One of Jaissle’s most pressing areas to address, though, is getting more from Toney.

Hopes: Al Ahli’s recent rude health has completely transformed their season – and, with it, most probably their objectives. They sit two points from Al Nassr in fourth and five back from current No.3 Al Qadsiah, so no doubt will believe another third-placed finish is possible. Crucially, they host both those clubs across three matchweeks in February.

Al Shabab (6th, 23 points)

The capital club are not in the worst position at all, although there will be the nagging feeling it could be even better after an opening 13 matchweeks blighted by inconsistency. At various points, Al Shabab have put together runs of three- and four consecutive RSL wins, but then let slip a few unwelcome results. For instance, they headed into the break without victory in three matches. Still, they remain very much in the top-four race.

Key Player: Musab Al Juwayr – the young Saudi Arabian has enjoyed a sublime season to this point, with three goals and four assists in 13 RSL appearances. His performances, across two games for Al Hilal before moving to Al Shabab, have seen him collect three successive RSL Young Player of the Month awards. Aged 21, the midfielder is a star for the present and future.

Standout Signing: Abderrazak Hamdallah – one of the summer's most headline-making recruits, the bona-fide RSL legend made the move from Al Ittihad to Al Shabab amid much fanfare. His time back in the capital has been pockmarked by injury, although Hamdallah’s five goals in eight league appearances conveys his everlasting quality. Now sits only 10 from Omar Al Somah’s all-time RSL record (144 goals).

Best Match: Al Orobah 0-3 Al Shabab – Al Shabab’s biggest margin of victory this season came in Al Jouf, when they saw off promoted side Al Orobah with relative ease. Haroune Camara opened the scoring shortly before half-time, with an own goal from home goalkeeper Gaetan Coucke doubling Al Shabab’s advantage, before Al Juwayr rounded off up a fine night’s work with his team’s third in injury-time.

Manager’s Impact: Vitor Pereira – parachuted into the club midway through last season, the Portuguese coach oversaw a marked upturn in form, with Al Shabab eventually finishing eighth. Now having had a full pre-season to shape his side, Pereira is seeing the work on the training pitch translate for the most part to matches - even if goals have been hard to come by (18 in 13 games).

Hopes: Al Shabab set out this season looking to improve drastically on that eighth-placed finish, with a spot in the top four a realistic target. That is still very much a possibility, although the five teams above them have such talent that they won’t easily be bettered. Still, two points behind Al Nassr in fourth will be considered a decent first four months to the campaign.