Cristiano Ronaldo was ineligible for Al Nassr against Al Feiha on Matchday 28 of the Saudi Pro League after being sent off in the loss to Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semifinals.
Aware of this situation, many fans decided not to even attend the match, leading to many empty seats at Al-Awwal Park on Friday. According to @TheNassrZone, 6,093 spectators were in attendance as Al Nassr won the game 3-1.
Let’s keep in mind this stadium has a 25,000 capacity, and even if it’s not always packed, Ronaldo usually helps to fill in more seats. But of course, the hype is not the same when you know the Portuguese star is already ruled out.
Last week, the 39-year-old saw a straight red card for apparently elbowing an Al-Hilal player in the final minutes of the match. That was enough to make him miss the Al Feiha fixture, but it could get worse.
Referee Mohammed Al Hoaish noted in his match report Ronaldo committed disgraceful behavior, which results in a two-match ban. Al Nassr wrote a letter to the Disciplinary & Ethics Committee looking to reduce the suspension, but reports from Saudi Arabia suggest he’ll miss two games anyway.
Al Nassr claim big win without Ronaldo
While Ronaldo’s suspension was a huge blow for many fans, Al Nassr still claimed an important victory to keep their title aspirations alive. The night didn’t start well for the hosts, but they bounced back.
Fashion Sakala opened the scoring for the visitors only six minutes into the game, putting Luis Castro’s men in a tough spot. Without Cristiano, it took a while for Al Nassr to find the equalizer.
It wasn’t until 72′ that Abdulelah Al-Amri made things level, paving the way for a huge comeback win. Only four minutes later, Sadio Mane put Al Nassr in front, increasing their lead after 82′ to seal the final score.
With this 3-1 victory, Al Nassr reached 68 points in 28 games this season. However, Al Hilal are still nine points clear atop the Saudi Pro League standings with one game in hand, so the title race looks challenging for Ronaldo and company.
Red-hot Ronaldo carrying Al Nassr’s aspirations
The Portuguese striker is having a fantastic season though, leading the league scoring charts with an impressive 29 goals, seven more than Al Hilal striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Al Nassr still have a great shot at finishing the campaign with a piece of silverware in the King Cup of Champions, where they’ll take on Al Khaleej for a place in the grand final.
Ronaldo is expected to be back by then, with Al Nassr reportedly requesting a team of foreign referees as they were upset with the officiating in the Saudi Super Cup semis.
