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Al-Nassr fans on X have slammed coach Jorge Jesus for substituting Cristiano Ronaldo during their AFC Champions League Two clash with Al-Zawraa. The Portuguese star was taken off at halftime with his side leading 4-0.
Ronaldo returned to action for the Knights of Najd as he was named in the starting XI to face the Iraqi-based club. It was his debut appearance in the second-tier competition, having missed out on all the previous five matches.
Al-Nassr opened the scoring just 12 minutes into the game through Kingsley Coman. Seven minutes later, the Saudi-based outfit were 2-0 up, with Wesley finding the back of the net. Abdulelah Al-Amri made it 3-0 in the 29th minute, before Ronaldo set up Joao Felix in the 44th minute for a comfortable first-half lead.
Surprisingly, manager Jorge Jesus decided to take off Cristiano Ronaldo during the break, replacing the Portuguese superstar with Mohammed Maran. This tactical decision did not sit well with the fans who were eager to see the 40-year-old get on the scoresheet.
One unhappy fan wrote on X:
"What a joke. Jorge Jesus has to stop this resting gimmick. WTF."@TheNassrZone This coach is a fool
@TheNassrZone This coach is a fool
A fan seemed to imply they were done watching the match, citing Ronaldo's substitution as the reason, saying:
"TV off."One fan berated the manager for substituting Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that he needed more minutes to regain top form after weeks of inaction.
"What a stupid decision. Ronaldo is constantly resting, then he gets into rhythm, just as he's getting into shape, he rests again and loses his form. And so it goes round and round. That's why he plays a lot of games out of shape," the fan posted.@TheNassrZone What a stupid decision. 😡Ronaldo is constantly resting, then he gets into rhythm, just as he's getting into shape, he rests again and loses his form. And so it goes round and round. That's why he plays a lot of games out of shape.😠
Al-Nassr conceded five minutes into the second half, before Coman scored again in the 56th minute for a 5-1 result. In 45 minutes on the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo landed two shots on target, created one chance, and had three touches in the opposition box in addition to his assist (via FotMob).
What's next for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr?
Al-Nassr maintained a 100% record in the AFC Champions League Two group stage, winning all six matches. Cristiano Ronaldo missed the first five games, and playing against Al-Zawraa looked like the manager's way of getting him match fit again after the SPL break in November.
However, action is set to resume in the league, and the Knights of Najd will next be in action on Saturday, December 27, when they will host Al-Okhdood. Similar to their AFC Champions League Two record, Jorge Jesus' side have a perfect league record, winning all nine games, which puts them atop the SPL standings.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, has registered 11 goals and two assists in 12 matches across competitions this season, which includes 10 goals and an assist in nine league matches.
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Edited by Okenna Okere
English (US)