Al Ittihad v Al Nassr: Ronaldo Suffers Heartbreaking Defeat in Saudi Super Cup

• Cristiano Ronaldo is having a tough start to life in his Saudi Arabia sojourn
• The five-time Ballon d'Or winner played full throttle as Al-Nassr suffered elimination from the Saudi Super Cup
• He is yet to get off the mark since completing his sensational move to the Middle East

Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a chastening defeat in his second competitive game for Al-Nassr.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward captained his new side for the second successive game; however, he ended up on the losing side.

Ronaldo helped the Riyadh-based club to a narrow win in the Saudi Pro League last Sunday despite failing to get his name on the scoresheet, Reuters reports.

Unfortunately, the 37-year-old's first silverware will be delayed following Al-Nassr's exit from the 2023 Saudi Super Cup, suffering a 3-1 loss against Al-Ittihad.

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Football

With Ronaldo leading Al-Nassr, Rudi Garcia's charges sought to end their winless run against their rivals however they experienced a false start.

Brazil international Romarinho drew first blood for Ittihad after just 15 minutes before Hamdallah doubled their lead on the counter after Ronaldo's powerful header was brilliantly repelled by Grohe.

Looking to bounce back, Rudi Garcia effected three changes after half-time which injected some urgency into their attack and duly yielded the expected dividends with Talisca halving the deficit.

His goal will be a case of much ado about nothing as Muhannad Shaqeeti broke the heart of Ronaldo and his teammates with a last gasp cushioning goal.

Ronaldo will now turn his attention to his side's next league fixture against Al-Fateh on February 3, per Soccerway.

Ronaldo mocked by Al-Ittihad fans

Cristiano Ronaldo might have moved away from Europe but his long-standing sporting rivalry with Lionel Messi continues to resonate among football fans.

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The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who swapped Europe for the Middle East after joining Al-Nassr, has bagged his first official game on Saudi soil under his belt.

In his first competitive outing, Ronaldo fired blank however he ended up on the winning side thanks to a solitary strike from Anderson Talisca as Al-Nassr beat Al-Etiffaq last Sunday.

Why Ronaldo parted ways with agent?

Sports Brief earlier reported that new details have now shed light on what transpired between Jorge Mendes and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The two close friends and work colleagues went their separate ways last year after failing to agree on a couple of issues.

Reports had indicated that Ronaldo wanted a way out of Manchester United as early as last summer but couldn't secure a move. He ended up joining Al-Nassr in January.