"Did Ronaldo dirty", "He cooked him lmao" - Fans left stunned by Angel Di Maria's cheeky skill vs Cristiano Ronaldo

Fans on Twitter were amazed by Angel Di Maria executing a cheeky skill against Cristiano Ronaldo during Al-Nassr's 4-1 loss against Benfica on Thursday, July 20.

Ronaldo and Co. were hoping to turn their pre-season form around after suffering a 5-0 loss against Celta Vigo on Monday, July 17. However, this wasn't to be as Al-Nassr were thrashed by Portuguese giants Benfica at home in a pre-season friendly.

Angel Di Maria gave the away side the lead in the 23rd minute. Highly-rated striker Goncalo Ramos scored a quick-fire brace just 13 minutes later. Sultan Al-Ghannam pulled one back for the hosts just before half-time but Andreas Schjelderup added a fourth in the 69th minute to ensure a dominant victory for Benfica.

Cristiano Ronaldo failed to have an impact on the game and his struggles were compounded after Di Maria produced a sublime skill against him. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner beautifully dinked the ball over the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's head as Ronaldo rushed the former, before being fouled.

The video quickly went viral and fans were quick to troll the Portugal superstar on Twitter.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr side's pre-season schedule resumes on July 25 against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Their last friendly will come against Inter Milan on July 27 before the Arab Club Champions Cup commences on July 28.

Cristiano Ronaldo could face legal problems after wearing Adidas shin pads during 5-0 loss against Celta Vigo: Reports

According to GOAL, Cristiano Ronaldo may find himself in trouble with his sponsor Nike after he donned Adidas shin pads during Al-Nassr's 5-0 loss against Celta Vigo on July 17.

The Knights of Najd were soundly thrashed 5-0 against the La Liga side despite the likes of Marcelo Brozovic and Ronaldo starting the game. However, the 38-year-old made headlines after the match due to his apparel instead of his performance.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been contracted with Nike since 2003. The latter reportedly paid him a lifetime deal in 2016 believed to be worth $1 billion. Despite his deal with Nike, he was wearing Adidas x Pro shin pads against Celta Vigo, a direct competitor to his benefactors.

Ronaldo typically wears shin pads that depict his own face and it is currently unknown why he wore Adidas shin pads. He may have to explain himself to Nike who likely won't be pleased with this change.

About the author

Silas has been a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda for 2 years. A Computer Applications graduate, he is a versatile writer who conducts in-depth research and verifies information from multiple sources to ensure complete accuracy in his articles. Silas was introduced to the beautiful game back in 2008, watching the Premier League on television.

Silas is a Liverpool supporter through and through and admires everything about the club – it’s history, culture, style of play, and all of its iconic players and managers. His favorite player is Steven Gerrard, who was also one of the primary reasons to get interested in football and support Liverpool.

Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who transformed the Reds from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Liverpool’s fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Barcelona, scored by Divock Origi after the iconic ‘corner taken quickly’ moment from Trent Alexander-Arnold, holds a special place in Silas’ heart.

Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he also follows Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. When not writing, he indulges in reading, traveling, fitness and gaming.

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