Social media was sent into a frenzy after Al-Nassr walloped their domestic rivals Al-Okhdood 9-0 in the Saudi Pro League in Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence. The Portuguese superstar was excluded from the matchday squad, with reports claiming that he was rested by manager Stefano Pioli due to fitness issues.
However, Al-Nassr didn’t seem to miss their talisman as they took a comfortable lead before the break. Ayman Yahya opened the scoring in the 16th minute, capitalizing on poor communication between Al Okhdood goalkeeper Paulo Vitor and captain Saeed Al Rubaie.
Jhon Duran doubled the lead four minutes later with a strike from the edge of the box. Marcelo Brozovic added a third in the 27th minute, while Sadio Mane put home a fourth from the spot in the stoppage time of the first half.
Al-Okhdood’s woes were worsened as Vitor was given his marching orders two minutes after the restart. Al-Nassr would go on to capitalize on the numerical disadvantage as they scored five goals in the second half to register the biggest win in their history. Their previous biggest win came in an 8-0 win against Abha Club away from home last season in the league.
Duran added a fifth in the 52nd minute. Mane scored three more goals in addition to the one he scored in the first half, and Mohamed Muran added the cherry on the cake in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time.
The victory came as a surprise to many, as the Knights of Najd lost their last two games prior to the Al-Okhdood game. And in what further got tongues wagging, Cristiano Ronaldo featured in both games.
After the incredible victory against the Najran-based club, fans online took to X (formerly Twitter) and opined that Al-Nassr won by a landslide due to Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence.
Here are some of the reactions below:
Another tweeted:
While Al-Nassr walloped Al-Okhdood on Monday night, the Riyadh-based club could go trophyless for a fourth consecutive season. Since Cristiano Ronaldo joined the club, he has yet to win a major trophy with them.
Al-Ittihad are currently at the summit of the Saudi Pro League with 74 points after 31 games, while Pioli’s men are third-placed with 63 points after the same number of matches.
Just three games of football are left for each team in the Saudi Pro League before the 2024-25 season grinds to a halt. As things stand, Al-Nassr can no longer attain the same number of points as league leaders Al-Ittihad. Only Al-Hilal, who are second-placed, can deny the Jeddah-based club a tenth top-flight league title.
Simply put, if Al-Nassr wins their remaining league games and Al-Ittihad loses theirs, the former can only achieve 72 points, which is two points below the latter’s current tally.
They lost the Saudi Super Cup to Al-Hilal earlier this season, were eliminated in the King’s Cup in the round of 16, and exited the AFC Champions League in the semi-finals.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel’s journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles’ fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium’s incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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