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Fans on Twitter launched scathing attacks on Cristiano Ronaldo for his mediocre performance in Al-Nassr's debut against Ettifaq. Ronaldo made his first appearance for the Saudi Pro League club since his headline-grabbing move to the Middle East.
Rudi Garcia's team managed to secure a 1-0 win against Ettifaq, courtesy of a 31st-minute goal from former Benfica starlet Anderson Talisca. While Ronaldo made a towering jump to reach the ball on that occasion as well, it was well beyond his reach. Talisca, however, made no mistake in turning it home from close range.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, was rather ineffective throughout the course of the game. Despite playing the entirety of the match, the Portuguese managed only one shot on target. He made two key passes and won only one out of his five ground duels.
Sofascore rated the 37-year-old's performance a 6.9. Talisca, meanwhile, earned a rating of 7.7.
Garcia's team returned to the top of the table with the win. They now have 33 points after the conclusion of 14 games and are leading city rivals Al-Hilal by a point, while having played one game less than them.
Fans, meanwhile, had a field day on Twitter. They slammed the five-time Ballon d'Or winner for his performance, claiming he ghosted against Ettifaq.
Others went on to say that Ronaldo is finished as a footballer and should prioritize retiring from the sport. Some fans didn't even know that the legendary forward was making his SPL debut, being too focused on the Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Here are some of the best reactions across Twitter after Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut in the Middle East:
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo might need some time to fit into the Saudi Pro League
While the Saudi Pro League is a lesser-known competition across the globe, the league is a competitive one. Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr's main rival, are one of the best clubs in Asia.
The tactical differences between European and Asian football should also be taken into consideration. Hence, it might take Cristiano Ronaldo a while to fit into the league's style of play and find his usual goalscoring prowess.
