"People often don't pay attention to that" - Al-Nassr star highlights how Cristiano Ronaldo makes it easy on the pitch for teammates
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr and Portugal teammate Otavio pointed out how the former Real Madrid striker makes the job of his teammates easier on the pitch.
The 38-year-old striker decided to join the Riyadh-based side in January 2023 following a mutual contract termination at Manchester United. Since his arrival, Ronaldo has bagged 37 goals and 13 assists from 43 appearances across competitions.
While the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has helped himself to a fair few goals, Otavio has explained how he also creates space for his teammates. In a recent interview, the 28-year-old, who has shared the pitch 33 times with Ronaldo, managing four joint goal contributions, said (via TheNassrZone):
“We get along well and the team does too. I understand his movements well. When Cristiano tries to go down the field, I try to move forward to attract the defense and he does the same thing."
He added:
"Any movement from him attracts two or three players, so we know we have to move to another line to be able to receive the ball. It becomes easier when the opponent attracts these players, which opens up the field."
"People often don't pay attention to that, but it happens because it's Cristiano. If it was someone else, players after players wouldn't follow. This way, another player appears and, if he thinks quickly, he can score many goals.”
Otavio has bagged four goals and assists each from 26 appearances across competitions in the 2023/24 season. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has notched up an incredible 23 goals and 11 assists in 24 matches for the campaign.
Cristiano Ronaldo reacts on Instagram after 5-2 win against Al-Ittihad
Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. secured their fourth straight victory across competitions by beating Karim Benzema's Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday (December 26).
The former Juventus man starred with a brace, both coming from the spot, on either side of the break (19' and 68'). After the match, Ronaldo posted a series of images on Instagram and captioned it:
"Important win! 💪 We’re not stopping!"
Al-Nassr are now placed second in the Saudi Pro League standings with 43 points, seven behind leaders Al-Hilal after 18 matches. Luis Castro's side will complete their list of fixtures for 2023 on Saturday (December 30) when they face Al-Taawoun, a game in which Ronaldo is likely to start.