Cristiano Ronaldo took to social media only a day after Al-Nassr got eliminated from the AFC Champions League at the hands of Al Ain on penalties. The Portuguese superstar was the only one to score for his team in the shootout.
“Thank you for your support. We’ll find a way to bounce back and come back stronger! Together, always!,” Ronaldo wrote on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram along with a picture of the team.
It was quite a frustrating night for the 39-year-old, who missed a couple of golden chances during the game but managed to score a late penalty in extra time to tie the aggregate score.
Al-Nassr arrived in the game needing to overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg, but got off to a poor start as the visitors took a 2-0 lead in the first half. Luis Castro’s men came back stronger in the second half, turning things around to extend the match to overtime.
Cristiano Ronaldo at a press conference.
But eventually, their penalty takers did terribly – except for Ronaldo. Khalid Eisa denied Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles then hit the woodwork, and even though Cristiano scored, Otavio’s miss sealed Al-Nassr’s fate in the tournament.
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Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr with work to do to win a trophy
Now, the Riyadh giants face a challenging outlook to avoid finishing the season trophyless. After 23 rounds, Al-Nassr trail Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal by 12 points, and even though there are still 11 games left, the rivals are showing no signs of slowing down.
Jorge Jesus’ men have just matched the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive victories (27), as they have yet to lose a game in the domestic tournament this season (W21 D2).
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Ronaldo and company’s best shot at winning a piece of silverware this term may rely on the Saudi Super Cup, though they’ll have to beat Al-Hilal to make the grand final.
The former Manchester United star is doing great regardless, leading the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 22 goals while his nine assists are tied with those of Alvaro Medran for the most in the league.
