"Pioli will regret this", "Everyone is happy" - Fans provide mixed reactions as Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate left out of XI for SPL clash
Fans on social media have shared their reactions to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate Talisca being left out from their starting XI against Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. The match is currently ongoing at King Abdullah Sports City.
Al-Nassr's starting line-up against Al-Ittihad includes Bento, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Mohamed Simakan, Aymeric Laporte, Nawaf Al-Boushail, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Marcelo Brozović, Ângelo Gabriel, Otávio, Sadio Mané, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Talisca isn't in the matchday squad for the Knights of Najd's 13th Saudi Pro League clash.
The Brazilian forward missed three matches for Cristiano Ronaldo's side due to muscular problems in November and returned to the pitch for their AFC Champions League Elite West 2-1 defeat to Al Sadd on 2 December. He has recorded eight goals in 19 appearances for the Riyadh-based club so far this season.
Fans flooded social media with posts reacting to Talisca's absence from Al-Nassr's squad for their Saudi Pro League clash against Al-Ittihad. While some fans were in favor of head coach Stefano Pioli's decision, some stated it was a mistake. Here are some of the reactions from X:
"Pioli will regret this decision," one fan wrote.
Another added:
"Everyone is happy no talisca."
"Where’s Talisca gone?" chimed in another fan.
One account posted:
"Finally No Talisca"
Another tweeted:
"Yes no Talisca"
"Pioli finally used his common sense and dropped him for Angelo Now we cook," posted another.
One user wrote:
"No Talisca thank God"
While another wrote:
"Talisca is always the best player in big games. Angelo is still young and it is hard to trust in these kind of games"
Talisca signed for Al-Nassr from Guangzhou Evergrande in 2021 for a reported fee of €19.2 million and has since registered 76 goals and 10 assists in 104 appearances across competitions.
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Sadio Mané joined the Saudi Pro League club from Bayern Munich in 2023 for a reported fee of €30 million. He has since recorded 24 goals and 16 assists in 68 appearances across competitions for Cristiano Ronaldo's side.
While playing in Europe, he had a decent record, scoring 31 goals and giving 12 assists in 73 matches in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. His contract with the Knights of Najd is valid until the summer of 2026.