Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after Al-Nassr's win over Esteghlal in AFC Champions League
Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged the importance of his side's 1-0 AFC Champions League Elite win at Esteghal FC on Tuesday (October 22) at the Al-Rashid Stadium in Dubai.
The hard-fought clash was decided by Aymeric Laporte's winner nine minutes from time as the Knights of Najd brought up their second straight win in the competition. Stefano Pioli's side had opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw at Al-Shorta before beating Al-Rayyan 2-1 at home on matchday two.
Although Ronaldo drew a rare blank on the night, the Knights of Najd prevailed narrowly in Dubai to move to fourth in Group B, two points behind Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal, who are atop the pile. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner tweeted:
"An important win! Let's go Al-Nassr!"
The game was only the second time this season in 11 outings across competitions that Ronaldo failed to find the back of the net. In his only other appearance this campaign in the AFC Champions League, the 39-year-old scored in the 2-1 win over Al-Rayyan on matchday two.
Mikael Silvestre tips Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo for Manchester United return
Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre reckons Cristiano Ronaldo could return to Old Trafford, not necessarily as a player. The Portugal captain had a largely forgettable second stint at his old stomping ground, having arrived from Juventus in the summer of 2021.
After a decent first season where he finished as the club's top scorer with 24 strikes across competitions, Ronaldo fell down the pecking order under current boss Erik ten Hag.
A frustrated Ronaldo lashed out at the boss and club hierarchy in a fiery interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, which sealed his fate at Old Trafford. The two parties eventually mutually terminated their agreement, and Ronaldo arrived at his current club Al-Nassr on a free transfer.
However, Silvestre - who played with Ronaldo at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2008 - said to Norskebettingsider (via Manchester Evening News): about his former teammate's potential return in some capacity:
"I think it's only a matter of time before Cristiano Ronaldo reunites with Manchester United fans in some capacity at the club, but it won't be anytime soon. He is a legend of the club, and it will be amazing when we see him at Old Trafford again, but it's too early to think about at the moment. Not yet."
The Al-Nassr captain has scored 145 times in eight and a half seasons across two different stints for the Red Devils.