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• FC Cincinnati v St. Louis City: Noonan looking for improved performance despite Atlanta win

  Despite watching his side beat Atlanta United in midweek, FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan still wants more from his side when they host St. Louis City this weekend.

  Kevin Kelsy's seventh-minute strike was enough to earn Cincinnati a 1-0 win over Atlanta to make it five straight MLS victories.

  Cincinnati currently sit second in the Eastern Conference, but Noonan is still demanding more from his side than Wednesday's performance.

  "I wouldn't say 'negatives' but [there are] things we could have done better, and here we are with the guys keeping a clean sheet and winning the game," Noonan told reporters.

  "They deserve credit and to be proud of the fact that they're still walking off the field with a win tonight."

  St. Louis saw a five-game unbeaten streak end as they lost 2-0 to Los Angeles FC in midweek.

  The defeat leaves St. Louis ninth in the Western Conference, though they are just three points off sixth-placed Austin FC.

  Bradley Carnell is looking to get players back fit and raring to go for the visit to Cincinnati at the weekend, saying: "It's about how we manage over the next couple of days to get a solid, fit line-up for Cincinnati.

  "We don't have much time to sit and dwell, and we have to be brave and positive to head to Cincinnati."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  FC Cincinnati – Kevin Kelsy

  In his first MLS start, Kelsy scored Cincinnati's lone goal on Wednesday. The 19-year-old has scored in consecutive games, making him the first teenager to score multiple MLS goals for Cincinnati, and if he gets the nod from the off again here, he will once more hope to mark it with a goal.

  St. Louis City – Joao Klauss

  Having netted four in his previous four games, Klauss drew a blank against LAFC as St. Louis slumped to defeat. He is clearly a key man in St. Louis' attack, and he will hope to get back among the goals this weekend, and with a win too.

  MATCH PREDICTION – CINCINNATI WIN

  St. Louis beat Cincinnati 5-1 in the lone previous meeting between the sides last April. The four-goal margin is Cincinnati’s largest defeat since the start of last season and equals St. Louis' largest ever margin of victory.

  But St. Louis are winless in eight straight away matches in all competitions (four draws, four defeats). St. Louis have won three of their last 23 on the road after winning the first three away matches in club history.

  Cincinnati have won five straight regular season matches with all five wins coming by one-goal margins, the first team to do so since the Red Bulls in 2012, and though it may be a tight game again this weekend, the hosts will fancy their chances of coming out on the right side of the result and collecting another three points.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Cincinnati: 44.3%

  St. Louis: 28.2%

  Draw: 27.5%

• Al-Ittihad pegged back as winless run rolls on

  Mohamed Sherif scored late on as Al-Ittihad's winless run in the Saudi Pro League stretched to four games after a 1-1 draw with Al-Khaleej.

  Al-Ittihad have endured a miserable title defence, and with just two games remaining, the highest the big-spending, PIF-backed club can finish is fourth.

  Muhannad Al Shanqiti put them ahead on the stroke of half-time, yet despite having a further eight shots and accumulating 1.07 xG in the second half, Al-Ittihad could not add another.

  Their profligacy proved costly in the 81st minute, with Egypt international Sherif snatching an equaliser for 11th-placed Al-Khaleej.

  Al-Tai moved out of the relegation zone with a surprise 3-1 win over seventh-placed Al-Fateh, with Bernard Mensah scoring twice.

  Al-Raed, meanwhile, claimed a 1-0 win at Al-Wehda.

  Data Debrief: Kante the creator?

  On the day he received a surprising France recall, N'Golo Kante created three chances for Al-Ittihad, leading the team.

  On the flip side, Kante only attempted one tackle, with the midfielder showing a different side to his game, not that it proved fruitful for his team.

   

• Ronaldo motivated to keep playing at top level

  Cristiano Ronaldo has no intention of stopping as he says he is still motivated to compete with the "young lions" coming through in the game.

  Ronaldo is reportedly considering signing a contract extension to keep him at Al-Nassr until June 2026, taking him past his 41st birthday.

  The Portugal international has scored 42 goals in 41 appearances for the Saudi Pro League club this season, and he insists he is still motivated to keep going.

  Speaking on the Whoop podcast, he said: "I feel proud to have this age and still compete at the highest level. It's great, and it gives me motivation to carry on.

  "If you look at my career for the last 20 years, my level is high. If you are top for 20 years, it's unbelievable.

  "I do that, and I continue to do that. For me, it's a big achievement."

  Ronaldo has scored an incredible 891 goals in his career and is the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football with 128 goals.

  "My biggest motivation is to carry on," he added. "It's not easy to be at this level.

  "To still push, to still motivate, to carry on, to score goals, to be in good shape, to compete with the young lions that are coming and that when they play against me, they want to show me that they are stronger and faster than me.

  "You have to prepare very well, not just physically but mentally, too. This is the challenge.

  "Talent without work is nothing and work without talent is nothing. They have to work together at the same time. I have both. I can't say that I have more of one than the other.

  "Small details will make the difference. Consistency is the most difficult thing.

  "Are you willing to do that? That's the main point, because everyone wants to be Cristiano, but doing it is difficult. Discipline is the most difficult thing."