“Better than Messi this year”, “We owe him an apology” – Fans salute Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr teammate for stunning display in Istiklol win

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate Anderson Talisca has been praised by fans following a brace in a 3-1 win over Istiklol and one fan even compared him to Lionel Messi.

Al-Alami made it two wins from two in Group E of the AFC Champions League with their victory over the Tajikistan outfit. However, they were forced to come back from going a goal behind when Ivorian forward Senin Sebai opened the scoring for the visitors on the stroke of halftime.

Cristiano Ronaldo equalized in the 66th minute with an excellent left-footed chip that his longtime rival Messi would be proud of. But it was Talisca who truly turned the tie in Al-Nassr's favor.

The Brazilian attacker put Luis Castro's men 2-1 up in the 72nd minute with a superb header. He then bagged a brace five minutes later with a sensational finish.

It was a performance that wowed fans at KSU Football Field. He also made one key pass, won three of five ground duels, and had three shots on target.

There was talk of Talisca potentially leaving Al-Nassr in the summer amid the Saudi Pro League giants' desire to sign more European talent. However, he stayed with Faris Najd and was happy to do so (via GOAL):

"I renewed until 2026, there's no reason for me to leave the club. I'm not negotiating with anyone, the club has no intention of leaving me because there's no reason, And the numbers don't lie. I'm happy here, I don't want to go anywhere."

Fans are perhaps going back on their assessment of Talisca as he continues to impress this season. He's now bagged seven goals and two assists in six games across competitions thus far.

One fan reacted on X (formerly Twitter):

"We owe him an apology."

Another fan reckons Talisca has outperformed Messi so far this season:

"He’s better than Messi this year."

Here's how fans on X reacted to the Brazilian star's scintillating display for Al-Nassr:

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Anderson Talisca on why he prefers Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi

Anderson Talisca (middle) talked up Cristiano Ronaldo's work ethic.

Talisca joined in on the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi debate last year over which of the duo is the greatest of all time. The Brazilian sided with his Al-Nassr teammate over the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner.

The in-form attacker explained that Ronaldo's dedication to the game and work ethic was something he admired:

"I am more Cristiano Ronaldo than Messi. Where he got to and where he is… Of course, he has the gift of God, but he is a monster. He works hard and is very dedicated. He worked for that what it is today.”

Ronaldo joined Talisca at Al-Nassr in January and immediately wowed his teammates with his winning mentality. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has bagged 25 goals and eight assists in 29 games across competitions since arriving in Saudi.

However, his longtime rival has also been turning back the years with new side Inter Miami. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner joined the MLS franchise earlier this summer and already has 11 goals and five assists in 12 games across competitions.