Cristiano Ronaldo Reacts to Erik ten Hag Before Equaling Erling Haaland in Al Nassr’s Win vs Al Shabab

Cristiano Ronaldo has done it again. In the King Cup of Champions quarterfinal game between Al Nassr and Al Shabab, he scored a goal that not only helped his team win, 5-2 but also saw him equal the 2023 goalscoring record of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. However, before Ronaldo achieved this impressive feat, he snubbed discussing anything about his former manager, Erik ten Hag, one year after he departed from Manchester United.

Fans vividly remember the scenes from 2022 during the 38-year-old’s final months at Manchester United. It was no secret that the relationship between the Portuguese and ten Hag was tense right from the start. However, tensions reached a boiling point after the infamous interview with Piers Morgan, where the striker didn’t hold back in blasting his former manager, even stating that he has ‘no respect’ for him.

Cristiano Ronaldo smiles after being asked about the ten Hag saga

Now, after leaving the English side, Cristiano Ronaldo was confronted by the topic of ten Hag. This took place on the eve of the game against Al Shabab during an interview. As he discussed his move to Saudi Arabia and how the fans differ in the Middle East, the subject of Erik ten Hag was brought up. However, as per the reports, Ronaldo simply smiled calmly and swiftly changed the subject, indicating his reluctance to engage in a discussion about the Dutch manager.

Following this interview, CR7 went on to do what he does best, which is to show his magic on the soccer pitch. Cristiano Ronaldo in the 74th minute of the match scored a goal to provide his team with a 4-1 lead. With this goal, he brought up his tally of total goals in 2023 to 50, which is the same as that of the Ballon d’Or runner-up Erling Haaland and more than any other competitor. Considering the latest news on Haaland, Ronaldo could even overtake the Norwegian striker.

Ronaldo is one step closer to repeating an 8-year-old feat

With 50 goals each, Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo are tied as the top goalscorers of 2023. However, there have been recent developments regarding the 23-year-old’s availability for the upcoming games. It has been rumored that Haaland may be sidelined for at least two matches due to stress on his ankle bone, which occurred before Man City’s match against Luton Town.

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This injury, which occurred during the international break in November, seems to still be affecting him. If the Norwegian is unable to play in the remaining games of 2023, it presents a golden opportunity for Cristiano Ronaldo to surpass him and finish the year as the top goalscorer. Also, this would be the first time in 8 years he would achieve this feat.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.

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