Al-Nassr manager blames Ronaldo for Saudi Super Cup exit

Rudi Garcia thinks Cristiano Ronaldo’s miss in the first half was the turning point in the defeat to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup.

WHAT HAPPENED? Ronaldo endured a frustrating night as Al-Nassr crashed out of the Saudi Super Cup after a 3-1 defeat to Al-Ittihad. The Portuguese forward was through on goal in the first half but failed to find the back of the net after Romarinho had put Al-Ittihad ahead inside 15 minutes. Garcia thinks that the outcome could have been different if Ronaldo had not fluffed his lines at that crucial moment.

WHAT THEY SAID: “One of the things that changed the course of the match was Cristiano Ronaldo’s missed opportunity in the first half,” the French manager told reporters after the match.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Al-Ittihad made the most of the let-off and doubled their lead before the break with Abderrazak Hamdallah getting on the scoresheet. Anderson Talisca did pull one back in the 67th minute to ignite hopes of a comeback, but Muhannad Shanqeeti’s strike deep into injury time sealed the fate of the match in favour of the Tigers.

WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO? The former Manchester United will hope to score his first goal for Al-Nassr next Friday when they take on Al-Fateh in the Saudi Pro League.