Cristiano Ronaldo hits the 'calma' celebration after scoring in Al-Nassr's SPL clash against Al-Ittihad
Cristiano Ronaldo hit the 'calma' celebration after netting a goal in Al-Nassr's Saudi Pro League clash against Al-Ittihad on Friday. The match ended in a 2-1 loss for the Knights of Najd on December 6 at King Abdullah Sport City.
After a goalless first half, Karim Benzema opened the scoring for Al-Ittihad with a left-footed shot from an assist by Muhannad Al Shanqiti following a fast break in the 55th minute. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the equalizer for Al-Nassr just two minutes later with a right-footed shot after being set up by Ângelo. After netting the goal, the Portuguese legend forward hit his iconic 'calma' celebration.
Steven Bergwijn scored the winning goal for Al-Ittihad following an assist by Mario Mitaj in 90+1 minutes.
The first time Cristiano Ronaldo hit the 'calma' celebration was during Real Madrid's LaLiga clash against Barcelona back on April 21, 2012, at the Camp Nou. The Spanish arch-rivals were tied 1-1 when the five-time Ballon d'Or winner took the lead for Los Blancos in the 72nd minute.
The Portugal national team captain then pulled out the iconic celebration by motioning with his hands to the Catalan fans to calm down, before pointing to his chest. That El Clasico ended in a 2-1 win for Real Madrid.
The equalizer against Al-Ittihad was Cristiano Ronaldo's 16th goal for Al-Nassr this season. The 39-year-old has also registered three assists in 19 appearances across competitions for the Knights of Najd in this ongoing campaign.
Stefano Pioli on Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr facing 2-1 defeat against Al-Ittihad
Al-Nassr head coach Stefano Pioli shared his thoughts on Cristiano Ronaldo's side losing 2-1 against Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. The Italian manager was appointed by the Knights of Najd in September, following the dismissal of Luís Castro.
Following the Saudi Pro League clash, which marked to be Stefano Pioli's fourth loss since taking charge at Al-Nassr, the 59-year-old manager said (via @TheNassrZone on X):
"It was a strong match, and as I prepared for it, the team with the fewest mistakes won."
Stefano Pioli also mentioned that he is currently more focused on building a squad than winning titles. He said (via @TheNassrZone on X):
"I am happy to be at Al Nassr. We want to build a team even if we do not win the title this season. Next season I have a contract, to put Al Nassr on the right path."
Stefano Pioli's men had 62% possession against Al-Ittihad while creating three big chances and having four shots on target. Following this Saudi Pro League loss, the Knights of Najd are currently fourth on the league table with 25 points from 13 matches.