Anderson Talisca fired a hat-trick and Sadio Mane scored a 94th-minute penalty to compensate for the single game-banned Cristiano Ronaldo‘s absence in the Al Nassr-Al Hazm clash. However, Al Hazm fired back four goals to the Ronaldo-less side, forcing them to settle for a lackluster draw. This tie is surely a shocker because Al Nassr dominates the Saudi league as its second seed, whereas Al Hazm is struggling as the 17th seed. Infuriated by the embarrassing draw, Al Nassr legend Fahad Al Harifi dragged dirt on the team and the club’s manager, Luis Castro.

Fahad Al Harifi had been at Al Nassr’s epicenter in their remarkable victories in the late 80s and 90s. He secured 11 trophies with the Riyadh-based outfit. Now that the team had faltered against a relatively weaker side, Harifi couldn’t keep his calm. “Team Al Nassr does not have the qualities of a champion, and is missing a lot, including a coach!”, he said. The club veteran not-so-subtly suggested the club part ways with Luis Castro. But, should they?

The club, under coach Castro, has always struggled to keep clean sheets in matches. Two out of Al Nassr’s last four games were narrow wins and one ended as a diminishing draw, courtesy of a sloppy defense. So far, there have been no demands from the Al Nassr management to sack Luis Castro. Besides, the Portuguese boss’ contract runs till 2025.

READ MORE: Witness of Cristiano Ronaldo vs Erik ten Hag, Ex-Man Utd Star Gives Clean Slate to Al Nassr Captain

However, Castro’s future with the Riyadh club will highly depend on how the remainder of the season pans out. Ronaldo’s team registers a shocking draw at a time when every match is highly crucial for the title race. Hence, the draw against Al Hazm will indeed come as a warning or a wake-up call for Castro.

Al Hazm draw puts Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr’s title dreams in jeopardy

For a long time, the Knights of Najd have trailed the top-seeded Al Hilal in the Saudi league table. Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. is six points shy of their domestic rivals. Furthermore, Al Hilal’s form is not as sloppy. Al Hilal has never seen a defeat in the 21 matches they played in the league. Notably, they have not even drawn once in their last 5 victorious outings. Continuing their northward journey, Al Hilal is better equipped to seize the Saudi silverware.

Al Nassr has played more matches than Al Hilal and is still lagging. The draw against Al Hazm has just widened that gap. Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s ban for his obscene antics also came as a blow to the club’s image. Upon return, CR7 has the huge task of getting back the hope to challenge for the title. Even so, the club’s prospects indirectly depend on Al Hilal.

READ MORE: “Cristiano (Ronaldo) Was Not Upset”- Ruben Neves Discloses Al Nassr Star’s Reaction to Al Hilal Move