"On a sabotage mission", "He has been exposed" - Fans slam Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate as perfect record comes to an end after 2-2 draw

Al-Nassr fans on X have blasted Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate, Inigo Martinez, after he struggled defensively during their 2-2 draw against Al-Ettifaq. The Knights of Najd's winning streak in the Saudi Pro League this season also came to an abrupt end following their draw at the EGO Stadium (December 30).

Former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a well-placed strike into the top-right corner. Al-Nassr appeared to have made a comeback in the second half following goals by Joao Felix (47') and Cristiano Ronaldo (67'). However, Al-Ettifaq took full advantage of the visitors' attempted offside trap, which resulted in Wijnaldum firing home in the 80th minute to secure a 2-2 draw.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. had won all 10 of their games in the Saudi Pro League this season. With their draw against Al-Ettifaq, they remain at the top of the table with 31 points from 11 games, three points above second-placed Al-Taawoun.

Fans were unimpressed with former Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez for failing to mark Wijnaldum during Al-Ettifaq's equalizer. The former also could have done better to close the Dutchman down before he opened the scoring.

One fan posted:

"Inigo is on a sabotage mission"

Another fan tweeted:

"Useless team. Only Ronaldo and maybe Felix have real talent. Inigo Martinez has been exposed in Simakan absence. Childish defense. Leaving players unmarked in the area. Like who does that. Al Hilal will pipe us comfortably"

Other fans reacted below:

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"The statistics were in our favor" - Jorge Jesus believes Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr had one of their 'best performances this season' despite Al-Ettifaq draw

Al-Nassr manager Jorge Jesus reckons Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. had one of their best performances of the season following their 2-2 draw against Al-Ettifaq. Jesus insisted the Knights of Najd were statistically the better side but weren't rewarded for their dominance.

As per FotMob, Al-Nassr dominated possession with 67 percent of the ball. They were also more threatening going forward, landing 26 shots in total, with seven being on target (xG of 2.13). Meanwhile, the visitors managed seven shots in total, with four on target (xG of 0.45).

Jesus said (via @TheNassrZone):

“It was an entertaining match for both sides, and one of Al Nassr’s best performances this season despite our clear dominance. Football doesn’t always reward the superior team in every match, and the statistics were in our favor.”

Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. will next face Al-Ahli in the SPL on Friday, January 2.

Edited by Silas Sud