Compared with the other three Asian teams participating in the Club World Cup, Riyadh Crescent is highly expected by more people. They carry the hopes and dreams of Asian football and will show their skills on the Club World Cup stage.
【Basic Information】
Country: Saudi Arabia
Continent: Asia
Finding route: 2021 AFC Champions League Champion
Main honors: 4 AFC Champions League Champion
Previous Club World Cup record: participated in Club World Cup 3 times, 1 runner-up (2022)
[Scene Analysis]
After starting the superstar strategy in 2023, although Neymar’s continuous injury and performance is unsatisfactory, Riyadh Crescent has achieved impressive results under the leadership of stars such as Mitrovic, Kulibali, Milinkovic, Malcolm, Cancelo and Bunu. The AFC Champions League team reached the semi-finals and was eliminated by the final champion Jeddah United in the semi-finals. From the perspective of overall strength, Real Madrid is undoubtedly the strongest in the group, and the position in the group is likely to belong to the Spanish team. But Riyadh Crescent is not without a chance, they will compete with Salzburg Red Bull and Pachuca for the second-place qualifying spot in the group. Riyadh New Moon players have both personal abilities and overall lineup depth. If they can give full play to their own advantages and respond well on the defensive end, the team has the hope of standing out in the group.
In addition, Riyadh Crescent just recruited Inter Milan coach Jerry Inzaghi, and the team’s coach configuration was directly full.
【Core Player】
Serbian striker Mitrovic has excellent physical fitness and strong finishing ability in front of the goal. He has a strong presence in the penalty area and is able to create scoring opportunities for the team with his physical advantages. Last season, Mitrovic made 35 appearances for Riyadh Crescent, scoring 27 goals and contributing 7 assists. Saudi international Dalsari, on the front line, also performed extremely well, representing the team in 47 games last season to score 26 goals and contribute 17 assists. Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo, who was introduced from Benfica last summer, made 38 appearances and scored 25 goals and assisted 3 times.
Mirinkovic is the core of the midfield of the Riyadh Crescent. He played for the team last season and contributed 17 goals and 8 assists. As a beloved player under Inzaji’s former command, Milinkovic will be extremely critical for Inzaji’s control of the team as soon as possible.