Manchester United flop outshines Cristiano Ronaldo as Al-Nassr superstar cuts frustrated figure in 2-0 Al-Hilal loss
Former Manchester United forward Odion Ighalo enjoyed a superb outing against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr on Tuesday, April 18.
Featuring in the starting line-up for Al-Hilal, Ighalo put in one of his best displays of the season to lead his team to a 2-0 win over their rivals. The forward scored from the spot in the 42nd minute before netting another penalty kick 20 minutes later to seal a fairly comfortable victory.
In a game many expected to be headlined by Ronaldo, it was another former Manchester United man in Ighalo who stole the show in some fashion.
The former Watford forward got two of Al-Hilal's six shots on target, while also completing a dribble, laying out a key pass and creating a big chance. He also won two fouls and six of his nine duels in an all-round showing.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, cut a frustrated figure for most of the game. The Portuguese superstar attempted four shots, none of which were on target, and also saw a goal ruled out for offside. While he completed 80% of his passes and won three fouls as well as six of his seven duels, he created no chances.
The all-time top-scorer in men's international football was also booked in the 57th minute for a headlock on an Al-Hilal player.
Despite enduring a poor outing, Ronaldo still has 11 goals in 11 Saudi Pro League appearances since joining Al-Nassr in January. However, he has scored just thrice in his last six league outings and has failed to find the back of the net in six of those 11 games.
Ighalo, meanwhile, has netted 18 times in 22 Saudi Pro League matches for Al-Hilal since arriving last January. His goals on Tuesday, however, were his first in four league games prior to which he scored nine times in six appearances in the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Odion Ighalo did not play together for Manchester United
Manchester United signed Odion Ighalo on loan from Shanghai Shenhua during the second half of the 2019-20 season as a stop-gap striker. Despite being on the club's books for a year, Ighalo played just 23 times and scored five goals. He returned to Shanghai in January 2021.
In need of another striker that summer, the Red Devils signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus on a two-year deal. Ronaldo hit the ground running in his second stint at Old Trafford, scoring 24 times in the 2021-22 season, even though United endured a disappointing campaign on all fronts.
The first half of the ongoing season saw the five-time Ballon d'Or winner suffer a fallout with new Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag. This was followed by an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan in which he slammed Ten Hag and the club.
United terminated his contract in November last year, paving the way for him to sign for Al-Nassr.