Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Condemned to Second Loss in 3 Days After Benfica Hammering

• Al-Nassr stumbled to their second successive defeat in pre-season
• The Riyadh-based club failed to recover from their heavy loss to Celta Vigo, losing 4-1 to Benfica
• Up next for the Saudi side is a clash against PSG

Argentina's World Cup-winning forward, Angel Di Maria, played a pivotal role in Benfica's triumph over his former Real Madrid teammate - Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr side.

Di Maria's brilliance illuminated the match, inspiring the reigning Portuguese champions to back-to-back pre-season wins.

He led the way in the demolishing exercise against the Saudi club, weaving through the Al-Nassr defence with skill and finesse before sealing the deal with a trademark lobbed finish in the 23rd minute.

Di Maria's goal opened the floodgates, with two more goals coming via the highly-rated Goncalo Ramos before halftime.

Although Khalid Al Ghannam managed to pull one back for Luis Castro's men, it ultimately proved to be a case of much ado about nothing as the European side worsened Al-Nassr's plight with a fourth goal from Schjelderup, securing a well-deserved victory.

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According to Inside Sports, the 4-1 scoreline deals a second successive defeat to the 2022-23 Saudi Pro League runners-up in a span of three days, following their previous loss to Spanish La Liga outfit Celta Vigo.

Up next for Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr teammates is a tough test against Paris Saint-Germain on July 25, per ESPN.

Di Maria's stunning goal

The 35-year-old, returning to Benfica after a season with Juventus, was at the centre of Benfica's success against the 2022-23 Saudi Pro League runners-up.

Di Maria's moment of brilliance arrived after 23 minutes when he skillfully danced through the Al-Nassr defence before executing a trademark lobbed finish, breaking the deadlock.

Ronaldo mocked after heavy defeat

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Cristiano Ronaldo is facing backlash from football fans online following Al Nassr’s humiliating defeat to Celta Vigo in their pre-season friendly game on Monday, July 17.

The Saudi Pro League side were hammered 5-0 by the La Liga side, with Ronaldo playing 45 minutes of the match, while Marcelo Brozovic made his debut for Al Nassr.