Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr lost 3-1 to Al-Ittihad in the semi-final of the Saudi Arabian Super Cup, with the defeat marking the Portuguese star’s second match with his new team.
Rudi Garcia’s side could hardly muster anything as they were far inferior to their opponents, with Ronaldo having very few chances in front of goal.
The only positive aspect of the game for Ronaldo, who made his debut last Sunday, was the welcome he received from the local fans.
However, Cristiano played the full 90 minutes and once again failed to find the back of the net. Anderson Talisca’s goal was no match for goals from Romarinho, Abderrazak and Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti though.
This result means that Al-Ittihad will face Al-Feihad in the final, with the latter causing a huge surprise by beating the pre-tournament favorites, Al-Hilal.
After the match, Al Nassr manager Rudi Garcia admitted Cristiano Ronaldo’s failure to take a goalscoring opportunity in the first half of Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Al Ittihad played a major part in the team’s defeat.
“One of the things that changed the course of the match was Cristiano’s missed opportunity in the first half,” Garcia said.