Cristiano Ronaldo Blanks As Al Nassr Fall to Humbling Defeat, League Title Chase All but Gone

• Al-Nassr suffered an unexpected defeat at home to Al Raed
• The Knights of Najd are winless in the last three matches
• The recent defeat all but ends their Saudi League title bid

Cristiano Ronaldo's highly anticipated return to the Saudi Pro League culminated in disappointment as Al-Nassr suffered a humbling 3-1 defeat on home turf against Al Raed.

The 39-year-old, who was absent during Al-Nassr's thrilling eight-goal showdown with Al Hazem the previous week due to suspension, was unable to reverse the tide for the struggling Knights of Najd, who continued their dismal run of form.

How Al Raed stunned Ronaldo's Al-Nassr

Fresh off their first defeat in the AFC Champions League against Al Ain on Monday, Ronaldo and his teammates faced Al Raed, hovering just above the relegation zone, with optimism.

Cristiano Ronaldo fires Al Nassr to AFC Champions League quarterfinal after beating Al Fayha

Football

However, their confidence quickly evaporated as Karim El Berkaoui capitalised on defensive lapses from Al-Nassr to break the deadlock after just 18 minutes.

Although Ayman Yahya restored parity for Luis Castro's side six minutes later, the Riyadh-based giants suffered another lapse early in the second half when Mohammed Fouzair took advantage of a defensive slip-up to put Al Raed back in the lead.

Despite making several changes in response, the 2023 Arab Cup winners failed to alter the course of the game, with Cristiano's free-kick rattling the crossbar as their best chance at equalising.

To compound their woes, Amir Sayoud sealed the victory for the visitors with a late goal.

According to MARCA, the defeat leaves Al-Nassr trailing league leaders Al-Hilal by a significant nine-point margin, with the latter poised to clinch their 19th league title, barring a dramatic turn of events.

Cristiano Ronaldo's teammates clash before Al Nassr qualify for Champions League quarters

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Ronaldo hurt by surprising defeat

Sports Brief also reported that the disappointment was evident on Cristiano Ronaldo's face as he observed Al-Nassr's surprising 3-1 loss to underdog Al Raed in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday evening.

While Al Raed celebrated their remarkable victory, Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, seemed visibly troubled.

Despite his efforts to inspire his teammates, their performance fell short, leaving him disheartened as they experienced their first home defeat of the season.