"His teammates realized what he wanted" - Rudi Garcia comments on Cristiano Ronaldo after Portuguese star scores all four goals against Al Wehda
Al-Nassr manager Rudi Garcia has explained how the rest of the Al-Aalami players' increased understanding of Cristiano Ronaldo's playing style is improving his performance on the pitch.
Al-Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, faced Al-Wehda in the Saudi Pro League in Mecca on Thursday, February 9. They went into the game looking to return to winning ways, having drawn 2-2 to Al-Fateh in their previous outing.
The Riyadh-based club went on to cruise past Al-Wehda, earning a thumping 4-0 victory over them. Scoring each of the four goals on the night, Ronaldo fired his side back to the top of the league table.
|| Full time, 
⌛️ || Full time, 💛💪
@AlNassrFC 4:0 #AlWehda
Cristiano Ronaldo ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ https://t.co/E7fKxL0qBP
Ronaldo seemingly struggled to hit the ground running after completing his big-money move to Al-Nassr in December. It took him three official matches to score his first goal for the club.
However, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has now found the back of the net five times in his last games. He will now be determined to add more to his goalscoring tally in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, speaking after the game, Al-Nassr boss Garcia expressed his delight for Ronaldo. The French tactician is of the view that getting on the same page with his teammates has allowed the forward to perform better. He told a press conference [via Arabic sports daily Al-Riyadiah]:
“Ronaldo has reached a great stage of homogeneity and harmony with his teammates. Over time, his teammates realized what he wanted and when he will score. I think it was a good night for Cristiano Ronaldo because he scored four goals."
مدرب النصر: اللاعبون أدركوا مع مرور الوقت ماذا يريد رونالدو ومتى يسجل
arriyadiyah.com/796108
#الوحدة_النصر
#دوري_روشن_السعودي
Al-Nassr's win against Al-Wehda on Thursday saw them return to the top of the Saudi Pro League table. They now have 37 points to their name, having won 11, drawn four and lost one of their 16 matches so far.
Garcia and Co. are notably level on points with second-placed Al-Shabab, but top the table on goal difference. They can take a three-point lead over Al Leith if they win their game in hand.
How did Cristiano Ronaldo score his four goals on Thursday?
Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for Al-Nassr just 21 minutes into their match against Al-Wehda on Thursday. He found the back of the net with a low left-footed strike from the left side of the box.
From start, to finish 👇🎥
A night where Ronaldo's star shined bright 🌟
#RoshnSaudiLeague | #CR7𓃵 | @AlNassrFC_EN
https://t.co/MkQxXSS8f7
The Portuguese icon doubled his team's lead 19 minutes later, combining with Sami Al-Najei. He converted a penalty in the 53rd minute to score his third, while his fourth and final goal for Al-Nassr on the night came just after the one-hour mark.