Cristiano Ronaldo’s worldly brace helped Luis Castro’s side secure a third straight victory in the AFC Champions League. This week’s AFC matches were intense with the Saudi Clubs dominating in all their fixtures. However, despite being a formidable side in their tie against Al Duhail, Cristiano Ronaldo has been ditched for a 31-year-old Jordan League striker for a place in the AFC Champions League Best XI for match day 3.
Although winning the fixture against Al Duhail, Luis Castro was left unimpressed by the team’s performance. The manager was reportedly fuming with the players’ attitude towards the game as he fired warning shots to the squad.
Cristiano Ronaldo ditched for Jordanian Pro League striker
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CR7 created many big chances for his team as he provided an assist to Anderson Talisca for the opening goal of the game. The forward then went on to score two crucial goals that sealed the victory for the club. Despite a game-winning performance, CR7 was ditched for an Algerian striker for the week’s best XI.
Al Sadd’s Baghdad Bounedjah’s hattrick against Al Faisaly secured him the best striker spot in the AFC CL team of the week for game week 3. However, it should be noted that the 31-year-old’s hattrick came against a team who are facing match postponements citing the war in Gaza. Meanwhile, Aleksandar Mitrovic’s hattrick against Mumbai City FC cemented his spot in the team.
Not a bad looking 1️⃣1️⃣
Who's your standout performer from the Team of Matchday 3? 🤔 #ACL pic.twitter.com/Ptee2bZTTw
— #ACL (@TheAFCCL) October 27, 2023
It should be noted that Ronaldo played a side who are among the top runners in their league. The Portuguese winger also dismantled the Qatari side’s hope for making a comeback. Providing more reasons to solidify CR7’s influence on the pitch for which he should have been given the credit.
However, Luis Castro looked more disappointed than the Al Duhail team. The Portuguese international reportedly was angry and fuming at his players for not handling the situation better and allowing the side to even score 3 goals.
Castro calls out players to be more aware of the situation
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Al Nassr secured a 4-3 victory over Al Duhail, thanks to goals from Anderson Talisca and Sadio Mane, which gave them the upper hand. However, Cristiano Ronaldo’s two crucial goals thwarted Al Duhail’s comeback attempt. This triumph maintained Al Nassr’s streak of wins by recording 3 wins in 3 matches in the AFC Champions League.
Coach Luis Castro though was far from pleased with some players’ lackluster performance during the match and issued a stern warning against such complacency. The Portuguese manager emphasized that such lapses will not be tolerated in future fixtures as he demanded a higher level of commitment from his team.
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Castro continues to push for perfection, and the players under scrutiny are determined to improve in their upcoming match against Al Fayha. Cristiano Ronaldo is eager to make amends as he is focused on achieving redemption in the next game by displaying unwavering dedication to the team’s success.
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