Cristiano Ronaldo was the difference maker for Al-Nassr against Al-Ettifaq in the round of 16 of the King Cup of Champions. The Portuguese forward wasn’t on the scoresheet but led the team to perfection with full commitment for 120 minutes.
The odds were stacked against Al-Nassr when Anderson Talisca was given a red card in the stoppage time of the first half. The Riyadh-based club was able to hold on till the 89th minute when Ali Hazazi of Al-Ettifaq was also sent off.
Sadio Mané scored the opener in the 107th minute that turned out to be the winner, but it was Cristiano Ronaldo who stole the spotlight in the second half of extra time by being present all over the pitch. His commitment was highlighted by the commentators on the SSC Sports.
🗣️Commentator on SSC Sports:
“Extension, in the 118th minute. The match is about to end for everyone and they can’t run anymore… except Cristiano Ronaldo.
It’s like he just started and he’s still contributing, attacking, defending and running all over the field.
Are we sure… pic.twitter.com/9VRiT4J1Yv
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) October 31, 2023
The commentators stated: “Extension, in the 118th minute. The match is about to end for everyone and they can’t run anymore… except Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s like he just started and he’s still contributing, attacking, defending and running all over the field. Are we sure he’s really 38“?
In the 120 minutes, Ronaldo took five shots and created two chances. In the defense, he had four clearances, one interception, and four defensive actions. He won five duels to complete an all-round performance.
Marcelo Brozovic commented on the impact of Cristiano Ronaldo against Al Ettifaq
The commentators weren’t the only ones who praised the efforts of Ronaldo. Al-Nassr’s midfielder, Marcelo Brozovic commented on the impact of his teammate after the final whistle.
Brozovic told SSC Sports: “Ronaldo and Mane were impressive in the attack. Of course, he [Ronaldo] won’t score in every match. Even when he doesn’t score, he has a significant impact on the pitch. Ronaldo’s presence in the team and on the field is much more crucial.”
🚨 Breaking : Marcelo Brozović shared his thoughts in the post-match interview :
🗣️ Marcelo Brozović : “I still don’t understand the decisions made by the match officials today. They disallowed a clear goal where Ronaldo was clearly onside. Then they showed Talisca a red card.… pic.twitter.com/CnsAJ7MXEN
— UzUmakiᵐᵃᵈʳᶦᵈᶦˢᵗᵃ (@cristiano7TheG) October 31, 2023
Brozovic was also critical of the referring decisions in the match. He commented about the controversial offside goal and red card of Talisca. The midfielder argued that officials could have cost them the game if it wasn’t for the immense dedication of his teammates.
Brozovic concluded by stating the importance of Ronaldo to Al-Nassr: “Earlier we faced Al Ettifaq in the league without Ronaldo, and we lost that game. But today, with Ronaldo on our team, we managed to win against them. I think I don’t need to speak much about the importance of his presence in the team.”
Al-Nassr was beaten by Al-Ettifaq 2-1 at the Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium in the league in August. Cristiano Ronaldo was not in the squad for Al-Nassr that night. Sadio Mané played as the lone striker for the Riyadh-based side in the absence of Ronaldo.
Looking forward, the fixtures for the Quarterfinals of the King Cup of Champions are yet to be announced as Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Taawoun, and Al-Ittihad enter as potential favorites for the title.