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Cristiano Ronaldo was savaged on social media after Al-Nassr suffered a 1-0 loss against Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday (9 March).
An 80th-minute goal from Romarinho proved to be the difference at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium as Al-Ittihad leapfrogged Al-Nassr to the top of the table. They are now on 47 points - one point ahead of the latter after 20 games this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo was ineffective for his team as he managed just one shot on target, created no chances for his teammates and completed just 67% of his 36 attempted passes. This was the second game in a row where he failed to register a goal or an assist.
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He also blanked in his team's 3-1 league win against Al-Batin on 3 March. After the game, football fans largely took aim at the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's inability to make a consistent impact in the Saudi Pro League.
Here are some of the reactions as found on Twitter after Al-Ittihad's win against Al-Nassr:
The Portugal icon failed to make a tangible impact in his first two official games for the club. He followed it up by scoring eight goals and providing two assists in his next four league games.
The former Real Madrid forward, however, could not help his team beat Al-Ittihad for the first time since December 2018. His team's chances of winning the league for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign also took a big hit with the loss against the Tigers.
He will want to set things right when Faris Najd face Abha in the King Cup of Champions quarter-final on 14 March.
Liverpool star could join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr - reports
Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr has seen the Riyadh-based club become a household name among football fans.
It seems that it could also be having an effect on their pull in the transfer market. Liverpool's Roberto Firmino could reportedly join them in the upcoming transfer market once his contract expires this summer at Anfield.
CBS journalist Ben Jacobs wrote in his CaughtOffside column (h/t the Express):
"Al Nassr are interested [in Firmino] and are also looking at PSG’s Sergio Ramos, which shows the type of stars they want to bring in alongside [Cristiano] Ronaldo."
Firmino joined Liverpool from TSG Hoffenheim in the summer of 2015 and has since won every major trophy in club football. He has cemented his status as a club legend and has registered 108 goals and 79 assists in 354 games across competitions for them.
A move to the Middle East could be the next step in the 31-year-old's career. Real Madrid's Luka Modric has also been linked with a move to Al-Nassr.
