Cristiano Ronaldo was the difference-maker as Al Nassr beat Al Feiha 1-0. In the crucial AFC Champions League Round of 16 tie, CR7 produced a moment of magic. He made a combination play with his teammate in the 80th minute and received the ball back before striking it past the goalkeeper. However, Al Fayha’s boss, Vuk Rašović, has dismissed the effort as just luck. Is it really so?
The victory came at the right time for Luis Castro & co. They were under fire following the defeat to Al Hilal in the Riyadh Season Cup final. Hence, this is a performance that will give their team’s confidence a significant boost.
Vuk Rašović has an interesting take on Cristiano Ronaldo’s effort
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The Russian manager in the post-match conference didn’t seem that impressed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s spectacular effort. He said, “Luck helped Al Nassr score the goal!.” The statement has not gone down well, with many fans & supporters criticizing the manager. However, even disregarding the goal, Al Nassr was the far superior side. For starters, they had 77% possession and controlled the game from the start. Moreover, they made 14 shots in comparison to Al Feiha’s 2, and both of Al Feiha’s efforts were off target.
Al Fayha’s coach:
“Luck helped Al Nassr score the goal!”
I don’t think it was luck it was…
CRISTIANO RONALDO 🐐 pic.twitter.com/ZWSuf9Obh9
— Al Nassr Zone (@TheNassrZone) February 14, 2024
Moreover, this is not a one-off result. In the Saudi Pro League, Al Feiha sits 14th at the table. Al Nassr, on the other hand, is second and is in a title race with Al Hilal. Hence, judging by their performances this season, it is fair to say that Al Nassr deserved the win.
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For Cristiano Ronaldo, this is his 25th goal of the season. An impressive feat considering he is 39 years old. However, Cr7 is not resting on his laurels and is targeting something special this season.
Cr7 wants ‘to achieve’ what has never been done before
Following the victory, Al Nassr player Aziz Behich claimed, “Our goal at Al Nassr is to achieve the AFC Champions League title.” An ambitious statement but his captain shares a similar view. CR7 said, “We have 5 months ahead of us, full of matches, and it will be difficult because there are decisive matches, but we will be able to achieve what we want.” It seems like Ronaldo wants to win everything possible including the AFC Champions League.
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However, Al Nassr has never won the prestigious tournament. The closest they came was being the runner-up in 1995. Their record in Asia is not great, with their last title being the Asian Super Cup in 1998. Hence, can Cristiano Ronaldo make history by leading Al Nassr to their first-ever AFC Champions League victory? Tell us in the comments below.
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