Despite having the ball facing the goalkeeper in the penalty area, Cristiano Ronaldo’s clumsy ball handling cost the Al Nassr home team.
Ronaldo was hurt during Al Nassr’s 1-3 loss against Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League opener last week.
Despite this, the Portuguese star was able to return in the second match, which took place at daybreak on August 19 against opponent Al Taawoun.In addition to Ronaldo, Al Nassr signed a slew of promising young players this summer, including Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Anderson Talisca, and Seko Fofana.
However, Al Taawoun scored surprisingly before Cameroon striker Leandre Tawamba finished with a dangerous head after a corner kick in the 20th minute.
When Ronaldo had a wonderful opportunity to score his team’s equalizer after halftime, he handled the ball awkwardly, making the crowd watching the game chuckle.
Ronaldo alone with a ball in the position of facing the goalkeeper (Photo: The Sun).
Instead of finishing, Ronaldo tried to go on the ball and was backed by the visitors’ defender to break the ball at his feet (Photo: The Sun).
In the 63rd minute, Ronaldo slipped from his teammates’ slit in the middle of the field to receive the ball, and in a one-on-one situation with the goalie, the 38-year-old striker sought to guide the ball past the goalkeeper’s goal instead of completing. Taawoun’s side was quickly retreated by the visitors’ defenders, who broke the ball in the foot.
Many fans criticized Ronaldo’s handling, causing the home team to miss the opportunity to score 1-1. “Really sad to see him handling the ball so confusingly,” one fan shared on twitter. “Honestly, it was a very sad tackle,” another added.
After squandering this exquisite opportunity, Ronaldo sadly struck the post, and Al Nassr paid the price as Ahmed Bahusayn clinched the victory for Taawoun in injury time, capping off Al Nassr’s 0-2 loss in the Saudi Pro League.
Last season, Al Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League and now confronts the arduous task of winning the championship this year.
