"Band to band with relegation teams", "Disgusting football" - Fans unhappy with Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr's showing in win over Al-Raed

Fans were left unimpressed with Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr's performance in their Saudi Pro League clash against Al-Raed. The match ended in a 2-1 win for the Knights of Najd on Thursday, January 30, at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for Al-Nassr with a right-footed shot in the 35th minute after being set up by Marcelo Brozovic. Nawaf Boushal doubled the visitors' lead in the 47th minute, with Ronaldo turning provider this time. Al-Raed's only goal of the match came through Amir Sayoud in the 76th minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo's side maintained 68% possession against Al-Raed, took six shots on target and created four big chances.

Fans took to social media and made posts sharing their disappointment with Al-Nassr's showing in their 2-1 win against Al-Raed in the Saudi Pro League. While some fans criticized the squad, some pointed fingers at Stefano Pioli's coaching. Here are some of the reactions from X:

"Band to band with relegation teams gotta love it," a fan wrote.

Another added:

"Pioli is a football killer… disgusting football!!!"

"Play like shit but win," chimed in another fan.

One account posted:

"Just another al nassr type win dk why Ronaldo don't leave"

Another tweeted:

"We haven't had actual dominant performances due to Pioli"

"Absolutely horrible. Al Nassr is playing without any technique—it’s like there is no coach at Al Nassr. Remember, the current coach was never wanted by Al Nassr fans in the first place," posted another.

One user wrote:

"Nothing impressive about Al nassr winnings for the past weeks, if this is how they play terrible against the bottom sides to grind out results how the hell are they suppose to beat the teams in top 6?! Anyone still hoping on a title challenge should die those hopes immediately"

While another wrote:

"The last third of the game was disgusting. They stopped playing. They came alive only in added time. Why did Pioli put Sulaiheem (who almost got a red card) on? They barely managed to pull out a win against a weak team."

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have failed to maintain a clean sheet in their last six Saudi Pro League matches.

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Stefano Pioli shares his thoughts after Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr's 2-1 win against Al-Raed in SPL

Al-Nassr head coach Stefano Pioli shared his opinions on his squad's 2-1 win against Al-Raed in their 18th Saudi Pro League clash. During the post-match press conference, the Italian manager highlighted the victory, while criticizing the errors on the pitch. He said (via @TheNassrZone on X):

"We controlled the game and won, and that's the most important thing, but I'm not happy about missing easy chances."

With the ongoing transfer window nearing its end, Pioli was asked about potential incomings by reporters, to which he responded (via @TheNassrZone on X):

"We haven't signed a new player yet, and we have the same squad, but if the new player comes we will see a new lineup for the team."

Cristiano Ronaldo's side are currently third on the Saudi Pro League table with 38 points, five points behind Al Hilal and Al-Ittihad, who each have a game in hand.