"Somehow at fault for all 4 goals" - Fans slam Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate after 4-4 draw with AL-Hazm in SPL fixture
Fans were unimpressed by the defending from Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, particularly Brazilian left-back Alex Telles, as the side played out a 4-4 draw against Al-Hazm in the Saudi Pro League.
The league's second-placed team missed out on an opportunity to close the gap to leaders Al-Hilal as they failed to win against Al-Hazm on Thursday, February 28.
Ronaldo watched from the stands and much of the pre-match noise was about him being investigated for an obscene gesture in response to Lionel Messi chants in the last match, per reports. The 39-year-old was suspended for a game, resulting in his absence from the clash against Al-Hazm.
Al-Nassr were expected to stroll past their opponents, who were marooned at the foot of the standings just before the game. Al-Aalami, however, found out that their opponents were prepared to go toe-to-toe with them in the game.
Every time the home side scored, Al-Hazm found a way to drag them back to earth, eventually holding them to a 4-4 draw. It almost seemed as though Al-Nassr had lost their fear factor in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fans took to X to make their voices heard.
"Alex telles is up there with the worst footballers ever i reckon im better than him"
"Telles somehow at fault for all 4 goals that’s actually wild."
See more reactions from X below:
Telles provided an assist for Anderson Talisca to score his third of the game and put his side 3-2 up in the second half. The former Manchester United man played for 90 minutes against Al-Hazm but could register only 7/17 (41%) accurate crosses and 1/3 (33%) accurate long balls, and missed his only shot during the game.
has been one of the most consistent performers for the Saudi Pro League side this season, registering two goals and four assists in 20 appearances.
Cristiano Ronaldo misses out as Al-Nassr drop points against Al-Hazm
Suspended for the match, Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted in the VIP box as Al-Nassr hosted Al-Hazm in the league. Al-Aalami were looking to continue their 100% winning run since the start of the year against the league's whipping boys.
With Ronaldo absent, the attacking burden fell on Anderson Talisca and Sadio Mane. Talisca was sensational for the side, as he scored a hat-trick to take his tally to 16 in 17 SPL matches this season.
Mane also scored his ninth goal of the season when he dispatched a penalty in the 94th minute. Al-Hazm had the last say, as Paulo Ricardo scored a 99th-minute leveller.
Cristiano Ronaldo's leadership was sorely missed against Al-Hazm, as his teammates failed to have cool heads. The Portuguese star will return to action in the AFC Champions League against Al-Ain for a place in the last four.