Pre-season friendlies help teams gain fitness for the upcoming season. Al Nassr is one team who has taken these games seriously. The Saudi Pro League soccer club missed the title last season but is seeking retribution as Cristiano Ronaldo looks to win another trophy. Despite being goalless in the previous three games, Ronaldo remains determined to make amends. It prompted Luis Castro, the current coach of Al Nassr, to speak about the club’s preparations.
In fact, Castro is delighted with the club’s rapid progress after Ronaldo claimed the European leagues lost their quality. After those two draws against PSG and Inter Milan, CR7 is probably right after those claims. Castro, in addition, detailed the progress the side has made.
Al Nassr making progress according to coach Castro!
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
According to DesportoAo Minuto, Castro stated, “The fact that we face top teams from the Champions League during the internship in Japan says a lot. It proves to everyone that we can play against these teams, with a high level of performance on the field.” After their 4-1 loss to Benfica, they rallied back to get two draws against PSG and Inter Milan. Inter Milan and Paris Saint Germain are European powerhouses, and Inter Milan even made it to the UEFA Champions League final last season.
He continued, “We scored a goal [against Inter] and we could have scored more, even during the second half when we played with tighter lines. We will continue to work hard, just as we did against Paris SG and now, two days later, against Inter.” Although the Nerazzurri had more shots on target, Al Nassr took the lead. It was quite shocking when Abdulrahman Ghareeb scored the goal to put them in front. But soon after, Davide Frattesi equalized to bring them back.
The game ended 1-1 as Al Nassr played their hearts out. As for Cristiano Ronaldo, it was somewhat of a different story. The striker failed to find the net for the third game running.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Cristiano Ronaldo fails to score, yet again!
Out of those games, Ronaldo has started but failed to convert chances. He had unimaginable moments in the last two games, where he attempted a ridiculous bicycle kick. Apart from that, he hit the goalpost with a thunderous shot, which excited many fans. These friendlies rather became a remembrance of Ronaldo’s abilities as a player. He is one of the best players in the world, even in this day and age.
After years of dominating Europe, Ronaldo looks to win more to end his career on a high. The Saudi Pro League attracted world-class players this season as they look to improve the league’s quality. Do you think they have improved?
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH THIS STORY- Meet the Legendary Tennis Player Who is 3x Richer than Cristiano Ronaldo