"Congratulations in advance to Al Hilal" - Fans react as Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate gets sent off in Saudi Cup S/F win
Al-Nassr fans conveyed their worry on X after Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate Marcelo Brozovic received a red card during their 2-0 win against Al-Taawoun in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final on Wednesday (August 14). The Croatian midfielder will now be suspended for the final against rivals Al-Hilal, which is set to take place on Saturday, August 17.
The Knights of Najd took an early lead in the eighth minute after Cristiano Ronaldo set up Ayman Yahya. Al-Nassr's new summer signing, Bento, made several top saves in the first half to keep his side in the game. Ronaldo then doubled their advantage in the 57th minute with a good finish from Sultan Al-Ghannam's cross.
Unfortunately, the Knight of Najd's semi-final win was overshadowed by Brozovic's sending-off in the third minute of stoppage time at the end of the game. The 31-year-old made a poor challenge, catching his opponent's knee. Despite being given a yellow card at first, the referee was forced to reverse his decision and dismiss him following VAR intervention.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. will miss Brozovic's presence in their midfield against Al-Hilal. The Croatian has been instrumental for Al-Nassr since joining last summer, controlling the midfield, as well as garnering five goals and 12 assists in 43 appearances across competitions last season.
One fan posted:
"Congratulations in advance to Al Hilal for winning the Super Cup. Thanks for the red card against brozovic."
Another fan tweeted:
"Brozovic red card ruined it. We’re losing the final."
Other reactions can be viewed below:
"This ref intentionally wanted to damage Al Nasr momentum going into the final by giving one of their main players red card," one fan insisted.
"No brozovic vs Al hilal we are soo cooked man," one fan wrote.
"Brozovic won’t play the final???? Yea be safe guys, we’re not watching," another added.
"What the Hell Brozovic ???" one fan questioned.
"Brozovic is out, A key player out on their way to face Al-hilal, why must this happen to ronaldo at this time man," another commented.
How did Cristiano Ronaldo fare in Al-Nassr's 2-0 win against Al-Taawoun?
Al-Nassr had a dismal pre-season campaign, winning just one out of their eight friendlies without Cristiano Ronaldo. Fortunately, the 39-year-old returned with a bang, inspiring them to the Saudi Super Cup final, with an excellent performance against Al-Taawoun.
Ronaldo scored one goal and provided one assist, and was unfortunate not to complete his brace, striking the woodwork in the second half. In addition, he was given the highest rating of any player on the pitch (8.8) by FotMob as he also created two big chances and won three duels.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be aiming to maintain this form against rivals Al-Hilal as he seeks to win his first trophy for Al-Nassr. He had a phenomenal 2023-24 season, scoring 44 goals and providing 13 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions, winning the Golden Boot in the process.