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Cristiano Ronaldo was hailed once again by adoring fans as he played the pivotal role in helping 9-man Al-Nassr take the Arab Club Champions Cup final against Al-Hilal into extra-time.
In a tension-filled half-time at Taif, the deadlock remained intact with both clubs showing hunger, but no one breaking the barrier. Al-Nassr appeared to be more content, having forged more opportunities, while Hilal cleverly strategized, eyeing to strike on counter-attacks.
Cristiano Ronaldo had been somewhat subdued in the first half, with the Al-Nassr captain looking skyward in frustration just before the break. But in the second half, the game shifted gears.
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Five minutes after the interval, Al-Hilal struck gold. Ruben Neves fed a precise ball to Salem Al Dawsari, who, in turn, played to Malcom near the byline. The Brazilian ace pulled off a deft chip, setting up Michael's diving header that sailed past Nawaf Alaqidi.
Tension escalated when Abdulelah Al Amri fouled Malcom just outside the box. Originally shown a yellow card, a VAR consultation led the referee to switch to a red. Another red card was shown to Nawaf Boushai before the 80th minute, but it was Cristiano Ronaldo who kept Al-Nassr in the game.
In a breathtaking play, Nassr broke down the right, orchestrating a perfect sequence that ended with the ball rolling across the Hilal six-yard box. And who was there to capitalize - the Portuguese legend. Netting in for a fifth consecutive match, he equalized the score at 1-1, sending the match into extra time.
Here's a glimpse of how fans reacted on Twitter:
Cristiano Ronaldo's future in question due to statements from his son
Cristiano Ronaldo's son, Cristiano Jr, may have inadvertently provided a hint about the Portuguese icon's future. The ripple effect was felt across the footballing world after the five-time Ballon d'Or winner shockingly departed European football to ink a lucrative deal with the Saudi Professional League side Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo's big-money move to the Middle East followed an abruptly concluded second stint with Manchester United. But now, a recent social media video featuring his son has football fans speculating wildly.
According to SportBible, the intriguing exchange went as follows:
One of Ronaldo Jr's friends said, “I’m coming to Saudi next year.”
Ronaldo Jr replied, “Come this year, next year I probably won’t be here.”
This ambiguous statement has raised questions. Could it signify that the youngster is considering moving elsewhere to pursue his footballing aspirations? Or does it mean that Ronaldo himself, at the age of 38, could be considering a move away from Saudi Arabia?
The Saudi Pro League has been at the forefront of football news throughout the summer, with clubs spending exorbitantly to attract some of Europe's brightest. But it was Ronaldo's signing by Al-Nassr that catapulted the country's top league into the spotlight of the football world.
