Ronaldo fumes after being dragged at halftime by ruthless Ange
A cranky Cristiano Ronaldo spread his arms and shrugged his shoulders in disbelief after being substituted at halftime of a Saudi Pro League game on Wednesday (AEST).
But Ange Postecoglou’s decision to drag the 41-year-old legend paid off handsomely as 10-man Al-Nassr came from 2-0 down to stun Al-Ettifaq 3-2 in added time at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium.
A cranky Cristiano Ronaldo. X
Al-Nassr were reduced to 10 men in the 12th minute when goalkeeper Bento was handed a red card for stopping a goal-scoring chance outside the box.
His replacement, Abdulrahman Al Otaibi, was then badly at fault for both Al-Ettifaq goals as the home team took a 2-0 lead into the break in Dammam.
Australian manager Postecoglou then rung the changes, including the introduction of Abdullah Al-Khaibari for an unhappy Ronaldo, who was making his first start since Portugal’s round-of-16 World Cup exit against Spain in July.
“I’m here to help the team with what I see, and everyone knows that Ronaldo hasn’t played in a long time,” Postecoglou said.
“He performed exceptionally well in the first half, and we opted for a different approach. When I made the substitutions, including taking Ronaldo off, I believed the players coming on could make an impact.”
The results were hard to argue with as Sadio Mané scored two goals and Abdulelah Al-Amri one for a thrilling comeback win.
Ex-Liverpool star Mane struck the winner in the 91st minute but five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo was a notable absentee from the victory celebrations.
Al-Nassr are top of the table after three games and Postecoglou also has João Félix and Kingsley Coman at his attacking disposal.
“I came here to help the players, so as I said, I’m proud of them because every substitute made a positive contribution,” the former Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest and Socceroos coach said.
“I’m proud of the players despite the high humidity, difficult conditions, the team being a man down, and being behind in the score. In the second half, we showed courage, and I’m happy for them.
“When we went into half-time two goals down, I told the players that the two goals could be overturned because they came from shots.
Ange Postecoglou. Getty Images
“We had an opportunity to make use of the wings, and that’s what we did. Honestly, what happened today is something to be proud of because my team secured a win under exhausting and difficult circumstances.”
Ronaldo quietly married longtime partner Georgina Rodriguez in a low-key living room ceremony earlier this month.
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