"The pitch was bad" - Cristiano Ronaldo on why Al Nassr struggled in 1-1 draw with Zamalek
Cristiano Ronaldo saved Al-Nassr from the brink of elimination in the Arab Cup of Champions clash against Zamalek. Al-Alamy trailed 1-0 after conceding from the penalty spot at the start of the second half.
Ronaldo, yet again, turned out to be the savior as he scored a leaping header in the 87th minute to equalize and hand his team a route through to the knockout stages. The Portugal captain has now scored 16 goals and has provided three assists in 22 matches for the Saudi Pro League club.
Speaking to the media after the game, Ronaldo cited that the condition of the ground was very bad and it caused the team to perform at a level below what the team desired.
"Zamalek is a difficult and organized team, and the pitch was bad, and we could not present beautiful football," he said (as per GOATTWorld Twitter).
"The match was difficult today for us because of exhaustion, but we were able to achieve the important thing, which is qualifying," Ronaldo added.
He further added that the team will eventually improve as the season progresses. Ronaldo said:
"We will gradually improve, and the atmosphere is very nice."
The game also marked Sadio Mane's debut for Al-Nassr as the Senegalese, who completed a €40 million transfer from Bayern Munich, came on as a second-half substitute. Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with Anderson Talisca, would look to form a formidable attacking partnership.
Cristiano Ronaldo's game against Zamalek by the numbers
Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored in two consecutive games in a row for Al-Nassr. The 38-year-old is slowly getting back to his brilliant best in front of the goal. Here we take a look at the key stats of his performance against Zamalek.
The Portuguese had one shot on target and completed 26 passes during the Zamalek showdown. Apart from that, he made one key pass and won a ground duel during the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. will return to action on August 6 as they face Raja CA in the quarter-finals of the Arab Cup of Champions. Whether Ronaldo can help the team and get one step closer to lifting his first trophy as an Al-Alamy player remains to be seen.