March 08, (THEWILL)- Cristiano Ronaldo endured another frustrating night as his Al-Nassr side fell to a 3-1 defeat against strugglers Al-Raed in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday. The 38-year-old Portuguese superstar was once more subjected to taunts from opposition fans chanting the name of his longtime rival Lionel Messi.
Videos circulating on social media captured sections of the Al-Raed supporters singing Messi’s name after their side’s surprise victory over the title contenders in Riyadh. It is becoming an increasingly frequent occurrence for Ronaldo, who was also jeered with Messi chants following Al-Nassr’s Champions League quarter-final first leg loss to Al-Ain earlier this week.
Despite playing the full 90 minutes, Ronaldo failed to register a single shot on target as Al-Nassr fell further behind leaders Al-Hilal in the Saudi league title race. The visitors took an early lead through Karim el Berkaouni before Ayman Ahmed’s equaliser drew both sides level, but second-half goals from Mohamed Fouzair and Amir Sayoud sealed an unlikely victory for Al-Raed.
The result leaves Al-Nassr nine points adrift of Al-Hilal, who have a game in hand, and with just nine games remaining for the hosts. Ronaldo’s frustrations were evident as he shook his head and made his way down the tunnel at full-time amidst the continuing Messi taunts from the jubilant away supporters. The Portuguese earned a fine and one-match ban the last time he reacted to these taunts with an obscene gesture.
Al-Nassr’s focus now turns to overturning their 1-0 deficit against Al-Ain in the second leg of their AFC Champions League quarter-final on Monday. However, Ronaldo’s quest for success in Saudi Arabia appears increasingly challenging amidst rival fans’ persistent attempts to rile him by invoking his greatest rival.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
