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Al-Nassr fans on X have been left fuming by Luis Castro's decision to include Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate Ayman Yahya in the starting XI to face Al-Riyadh. The two sides are set to face each other in the Saudi Pro League later tonight (Thursday, May 23).
Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. will be looking to get back to winning ways after recently being held to a last-minute 1-1 draw by rivals Al-Hilal. Al-Nassr are currently second in the standings with 78 points from 32 games, having already conceded the title to Al-Hilal - who are unbeaten with 90 points.
Al-Riyadh have had a mixed season to date and are languishing in 14th position with 31 points. In addition, they have won just one out of their last five league games, drawing three in a row.
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David Ospina starts in goal for Al-Nassr. Sultan Al-Ghannam, Ali Lajami, Aymeric Laporte, and Alex Telles make up the defense. The midfield consists of Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Marcelo Brozovic, and Otavio, while Sadio Mane, Ayman Yahya, and Cristiano Ronaldo start up front to complete the XI.
Fans are far from impressed by Yahya's inclusion. The 23-year-old right-winger has struggled to impress this season, scoring just two goals in 29 appearances across all competitions.
One fan posted:
"Ayman is the worst attacker I have ever seen. He literally can't do anything. He can't pass, dribble, shoot or kick a ball."
Another fan wrote:
"This Ayman guy is our weak point."
Other reactions can be viewed below:
"Ayman omg i cant", one fan said.
"Remove Ayman and add some other. It would be better", another fan suggested.
"The leauge is over anyway. This is just for vibes now...", one fan defended Yahya.
"Come on CR7 just 2 goals today please", another fan chimed in.
Al-Nassr director defends Cristiano Ronaldo; takes dig at Al-Ittihad's Karim Benzema
Al-Nassr sporting director Marcelo Salazar has used Cristiano Ronaldo's performances to defend the strength of the Saudi Pro League, using Al-Ittihad forward Karim Benzema as an example.
Ronaldo has individually flourished for Al-Nassr since joining the Riyadh-based outfit last January as a free agent. The 39-year-old has scored 56 goals and provided 15 assists in 61 appearances across all competitions. However, many fans have questioned the strength of the teams in the Saudi Pro League.
Salazar said (via Al Nassr Zone):
"At the age of 39, Cristiano scored 54 goals last year. People say, ‘Oh, that was in the Saudi League, but (Benzema) was here and did not score 50 goals. Other strikers were here and did not score 50 goals.”
Benzema has failed to make a significant impact since trading Real Madrid for Al-Ittihad last summer. The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner has registered 13 goals and eight assists in 29 appearances across all competitions and reportedly wants to leave the SPL after just one year in the Middle East.
