“We couldn’t control him” – Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammate receives special praise from Slaven Bilic despite hat-trick from him in 5-0 win

Al-Fateh manager Slaven Bilic lauded the efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate Marcelo Brozovic after his side were thumped 5-0 by Al-Nassr. Speaking after the game, Bilic appreciated the efforts of the Croatian in the midfield.

He said (via Croatian website tportal):

"Al-Nassr was better on the pitch, it's a team that has a handful of stars. We had our chances, but we didn't take any of them. On the other hand, Al-Nassr used most of their own. We kept five players in the midfield, but the performance was not what it should have been."

He added:

"Al-Nassr has players the size of Marcelo Brozović in the midfield, and we couldn't control him. We have to turn this page and think about the next game. I'm shocked by the performance of the players, we lost because we weren't good, but I won't be harsh on them."

It was a fantastic outing for Al-Nassr and Ronaldo, notching their first win of the Saudi Pro League season after beginning their campaign with two losses. The Portuguese superstar notched a hat-trick and also provided a sublime assist for Sadio Mane, who bagged a brace himself.

Al-Nassr will next face Al-Shabab on Tuesday (August 29) in the Saudi Pro League.

---

Bayern Munich star offers thoughtful opinion on Messi vs Ronaldo debate

Muller details what he feels are the factors that differentiate Messi from the Portuguese superstar.

Bayern Munich midfielder Thomas Muller has offered an interesting opinion on the debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Speaking to DAZN, the German was asked who he thought the GOAT was. He replied by saying that while the pair have comparable achievements, the Argentine's elegance made him the better player.

He said:

“Who is the greatest of all time? The GOAT for me is Messi because he makes people say ‘I go to the stadium because of his elegance’ and at the same time he is very effective in scoring goals and achieving records and titles. nCristiano is also a strong candidate in two categories which are stats and titles, but Messi is simply more subtle and elegant.”

Muller enjoyed some great battles with the pair during their time in Europe. Ronaldo now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia, joining Al-Nassr from Manchester United last season.

Messi, on the other hand, left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after a two-year stint to join MLS side Inter Miami. He has enjoyed a brilliant start to life in the US, lifting his team to a Leagues Cup triumph.