Ever since his move to Saudi Arabia, Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has seemingly struggled for his old touch. While the Portuguese legend has made some outstanding performances in the last year, his goal-scoring prowess has dwindled.

Al-Nassr had a bad run in their recent pre-season tour of Japan, with the team failing to win a single game from their four outings. To add more to their worries, Ronaldo failed to find the back of the net even once, which could spell trouble for the side heading into the season.

Luis Castro defends Cristiano Ronaldo despite lackluster performance

While fans were quick to slam Cristiano for his recent performances and the reason for Al-Nassr’s terrible run, Al-Nassr coach Luís Castro seems to have his players back. Castro defended Ronaldo from the recent criticism, claiming that it was tough for the team to function well with the limited break between games.

“All eyes are always on Cristiano, so they see him unhappy. But if you look at all the players, you will also see their dissatisfaction. It’s almost impossible for us to play PSG, rest for two days, then play Inter Milan, and then go on a long trip to play Al Shabab.”

“It’s impossible for a team to play three games in five days, so we weren’t at the level we wanted. It was difficult. We took risks, we didn’t play at the level we did against Inter and PSG.”

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Although Luis Castro may have jumped into Cristiano’s defense following his goal drought in the pre-season tour, the Portuguese icon will have to step up to the challenge in the coming months.

Al Nassr hoping for a turnaround with major signings

Despite the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, Al-Nassr bottled the Saudi Pro League title last season as they finished second behind Al-Ittihad. The team has gone to big lengths this season in hopes of bolstering their squad by signing the likes of Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic, and Seko Fofana.

With Cristiano at the helm, Al-Nassr will be hoping for a big turnaround this season, but with multiple big names arriving across different teams, the team will have to be ready for its toughest season. While Ronaldo may have struggled for form in the pre-season tour, a string of goals could come as a major boost for the Al-Nassr talisman.

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