Title hopes over? Watch Cristiano Ronaldo present his red-hot mood after teammate’s purple card in Al-Nassr’s pricey defeat

It was an evening crammed with frustration and heartbreak for Al-Nassr as they suffered a 3-2 defeat in opposition to Al-Ettifaq within the Saudi Professional League—a outcome that might mark the tip of their title ambitions. Regardless of boasting a squad full of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Aymeric Laporte, and Marcelo Brozovic, the Riyadh-based aspect couldn’t maintain onto their lead and noticed their hopes crushed within the dying moments of the match.

Nevertheless, the match’s most controversial second got here deep into stoppage time, when a shock purple card left Al-Nassr reeling—and sparked an explosive response from their Portuguese talisman.

The match started with Al-Nassr dominating possession however failing to capitalize on their possibilities. Ronaldo got here closest, testing Al-Ettifaq’s goalkeeper Marek Rodak on a number of events. Regardless of their stress, the primary half ended goalless, with Al-Ettifaq almost breaking the impasse themselves, hitting the publish and forcing a double save from Bento in stoppage time.

The breakthrough got here nearly instantly after the restart when a cross from Sadio Mane deflected off Ayman Yahya’s head and into the web—albeit with a contact of luck. The guests responded rapidly, with former Liverpool midfielder, Georginio Wijnaldum rounding Bento to equalize after a VAR overview overturned an preliminary offside name.

The house aspect regained the lead within the sixty fifth minute by means of Mohammed Al-Fatil, who headed dwelling from a free kick. However the defender’s night time took a disastrous flip when he by chance turned the ball into his personal web within the 82nd minute, leveling the rating as soon as extra. Simply because the match appeared destined for a draw, Wijnaldum struck once more within the 89th minute, ending off a swift counterattack to safe the win for Al-Ettifaq.

Crimson card controversy: Ronaldo loses his cool

The drama didn’t finish there. Within the 93rd minute, Jhon Duran—Al-Nassr’s latest signing—turned the focus after a quick altercation with Abdulelah Al Malki. With play stopped, Duran calmly brushed his head in opposition to Al Malki’s. Nevertheless, Russian referee Kirill Levnikov interpreted the gesture as aggression and instantly brandished a straight purple card.

For this reason Duran was despatched off.

The choice left the Riyadh outfit surprised, however none extra so than Cristiano Ronaldo. Livid with the decision, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner confronted the referee, demanding a VAR overview. When his protests had been ignored, the 40-year-old vented his frustration by kicking the ball away in anger. The ahead’s seen outrage summed up the feelings of a staff that noticed its title hopes slipping away.

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What this implies for Al-Nassr’s title race

This defeat leaves Al-Nassr eight factors behind league leaders Al-Ittihad, led by Karim Benzema, and three factors behind Qadisiya, who sit in third place. With simply two wins of their final 5 matches and consecutive setbacks within the league, Stefano Pioli’s aspect now faces an uphill battle to catch up within the Saudi Professional League title race.

Defensive frailties proceed to hang-out the staff. Regardless of the presence of Aymeric Laporte, the absence of his common associate, Mohamed Simakan, uncovered weaknesses on the again. This instability proved pricey, with Al-Fatil’s errors straight contributing to Al-Ettifaq’s targets.