Cristiano Ronaldo was so upset with Al-Nassr’s loss to Al-Ittihad in the last Saudi Pro League game to the extent where he threw the captain’s armband and kicked a bottle out of frustration upon leaving the pitch. The 38-year-old Portugal national team captain’s mood reached a boiling point because the loss meant Al-Ittihad has jumped past his team in the league table to top all teams. In yesterday’s match, Ronaldo’s feelings took a change after his team earned a comfortable 3-1 victory over Abha in the King Cup of Champions. The Ronaldo-led team will be looking forward to win it all in this competition, having reached the semifinal stage with this victory.
Al-Nassr Showed Total Supremacy
Al-Nassr displayed why it is one of the best teams in the Saudi region, after it opened the score line within the opening 10 seconds. Saudi national team midfielder Sami Al-Najei was set free by his fellow countryman Sultan Al-Ghannam in the first attack of the game, in which the 26-year-old carefully skipped past his defender to draw first blood for the home side at Marsool Park.
Rudi Garcia’s side extended its lead 20 minutes later, courtesy of Abdullah Al-Khaibari’s effort. The 26-year-old midfielder received a left-flank delivery by Ivorian Ghislain Konan and hit the ball first-time with his left foot, giving Al-Nassr a resounding 2-0 advantage going into the second 45 minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo received a yellow card by the end of the first period, after he angrily kicked the ball away out since the referee blew the half-whistle and stopped a counterattack from the home side; The referee’s decision stopped the 38-year-old from ending his two-match goal draught in Al-Nassr colours.
Four minutes after the restart, Abha’s goalkeeer Devis Epassy came out of his zone to challenge Al-Nassr’s Mohammed Maran’s header. His mistimed punch let the ball fell cleanly for Maran again, and the player droved pass everyone to score his team’s third goal of the evening as well as his first ever goal for the club. Abha pulled one back in the 68th minute, thanks to an effort on goal by substitute Abdulfattah Adam Ahmad Mohammed, but the visitors cannot supply more efforts to change the score line with any more tallies.
Cristiano Ronaldo was not happy after being substituted.
— CR7 Portugal (@CR7_PORFC) March 14, 2023
Ronaldo Unhappy Over Substitution
The all-time leading scorer in men’s international football and five-time Ballon d’Or winner looked to be dejected when he was replaced by Brazilian midfielder Talisca in the 87th minute. His emotion was understandable as the goal scoring machine was looking forward to end his two-game run of not scoring any goals in Saudi Arabia, but no one can deny that his presence in the game certainly was one of the reasons why Al-Nassr is back to winning ways and reaching the semifinal of the King Cup of Champions.
Cristiano Ronaldo will get another chance to score against Abha on Saturday as his Al-Nassr side will be facing its opponent last night again at home in a Saudi Pro League game this weekend. The Rudi Garcia-managed men will be eager to take all three points from this match to give pressure on league leader Al-Ittihad, who leapfrogged them after a 1-0 victory last time around.
Elsewhere in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, Italian Serie A’s Inter Milan survived immense pressure given by Porto in Portugal to reach its first quarterfinal of the competition in about 12 years. The Nerazzurri is also joined by its rival AC Milan in the next knockout round of the contest, which is also the first time since the 2005/2006 Season that both Milan teams are through to this phase.
