On the first of December, two popular Saudi clubs, Al Nassr and Al Hilal, faced each other. For the neutrals, Cristiano Ronaldo was the principal attraction in the Riyadh derby. However, in the derby, Aleksandar Mitrović emerged as the hero and stole the headlines. His brilliant form has led to his former boss, Marco Silva, regretting his departure from Fulham.
It indicates how hard the Saudi giants worked on the deal in the summer transfer window. With his current form, the Blue Waves are the favorites to win the league this season. Fulham, meanwhile, lie 13th in the English Premier League. And how the tide has turned!
Marco Silva regrets selling irreplaceable Aleksandar Mitrović to Saudi Arabia
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Cristiano Ronaldo made the news when he signed for Al Nassr in the January transfer window. The signing also pressurized rivals and title competitors Al Hilal to bring a marquee striker signing. They went ahead with the signing of Aleksandar Mitrović from Fulham. His signing has had the same impact Ronaldo had on the Knights of Najd. But Fulham boss Marco Silva regrets the sale to this day. He said, “Since Mitrović left, we have suffered in the attack. We didn’t replace him this summer and now we’re having trouble replacing it this winter.”
🎙️Marco Silva (entraîneur de Fulham) :
« Depuis le départ de Mitrović, nous souffrons en attaque. Nous ne l'avons pas remplacé cet été et maintenant nous avons du mal à le remplacer cet hiver. »
🇷🇸X🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/YoWji9vr1T
— SPL 🇸🇦 (@ActuSPL) January 2, 2024
The ownership of the Premier League had zero intentions of selling the Serbian striker in the summer transfer window. However, Al Hilal offered very lucrative terms for the forward. It also led to Mitrovic forcing a transfer to the cash-rich league. In the end, the Blues Waves paid a club-record fee of $64 million for his services. But his goal-scoring contributions show the striker is worth every penny.
He is currently the second-highest goal scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo, with 17 goals in his first season. However, in the Riyadh derby, he ensured his team won the contest convincingly against Al Nassr to extend the lead on top to seven points.
Read More:- Aleksandar Mitrovic Reveals 1 Thing That Stopped His Hat trick Against Al Nassr and It’s Not Aymeric Laporte
When Mitrović bullied Cristiano Ronaldo on the field
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The Riyadh Derby was a very heated clash between the rivals. In the 64th minute, Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic Savic opened the scoring for Al Hilal. After that, Al Nassr kept on trying to get an equalizer. But they could not penetrate the sturdy Al Hilal defense. Then, the killer blow came from Mitrovic. When the Blue Waves got a corner, the 29-year-old dominated Cristiano Ronaldo in the air and scored a brilliant header.
The Al Nassr star complained to the referee about the goal. However, the VAR ruled it a fair goal. However, Mitrovic was not done yet, as he scored another two minutes later to seal a 3-0 win.
WATCH THIS STORY: Cristiano Jr’s Insane Training Schedule
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
This win could be the game that potentially wins Al Hilal the title this season. Has Mitrovic been a better signing than Neymar for Al Hilal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.