“Better than Ronaldo in my books” - Fans convinced 29-year-old Al-Nassr star is more important to the team than Cristiano Ronaldo 

Fans on Twitter are convinced that Anderson Talisca is a more important player for Al-Nassr than Cristiano Ronaldo. The 29-year-old had a mixed outing against Al Fateh on February 3. While the former Benfica star found the back of the net for the third game in a row, he was sent off in the dying stages of the match.

Cristian Tello, formerly of Barcelona, broke the deadlock early in the game, giving Al Fateh the lead. Ronaldo wasted a gilt-edged opportunity after Talisca's effort rebounded off the post.

The Brazilian, however, managed to find the back of the net with a well-taken left-footed strike in the 42nd minute of the match.

Talisca had the opportunity to hand his side the lead early in the second half. The Brazilian was brilliantly set up by Ronaldo but headed his effort well over the bar.

Sofiane Bendebka scored a spectacular goal in the 58th minute to give Al Fateh the lead for the second time in the match, only to see it canceled out by the Al-Nassr no. 7's stoppage-time penalty.

Despite Cristiano Ronaldo's late equalizer, fans believe Talisca is the player that makes Rudi Garcia's side tick. Industrious by nature, the Brazilian completed 19 out of his attempted 22 passes during the match. He took four shots on target as well and drew two fouls.

Here are some of the best reactions from fans praising Talisca:

When will Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr return to action?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr will return to action on February 9 when Rudi Garcia's side take on Al-Wehda in another away game in the SPL. Garcia's team remained atop the league table despite their draw; they currently have 34 points from 15 games.

Talisca, however, will be absent from the clash after being sent off against Al Fateh. The Riyadh-based team will depend on Ronaldo to carry the team's attack in their next match.

The Portuguese forward, who will turn 38 by the time he takes the field next, has carried his teams throughout his career. Whether he still has that lethal characteristic about him or not remains to be seen.