"The presence of Cristiano Ronaldo motivates all players" - Al-Khaleej goalkeeper delights at earning 'valuable' point against Al-Nassr
Al-Khaleej goalkeeper Marwai Al-Haidari has said that Cristiano Ronaldo's presence at Al-Nassr gave Al-Danah extra motivation to get a result in their Saudi Pro League clash on Monday (8 May).
Al-Nassr went into their home game against Al-Khaleej looking to build on their 4-0 win over Al-Raed in their last outing. However, things did not go according to plan for the Mrsool Park outfit as they were held to a 1-1 draw.
Fabio Martins opened the scoring for the visitors four minutes into the game, leaving the hosts stunned. Alvaro Gonzalez, though, netted the equalizer for Ronaldo's side 13 minutes later.
Al-Aalami went on to dominate the game, boasting 66% possession and registering six shots on target, but failed to take the lead. Hence, they dropped another two points and fell five points behind Al-Ittihad in the title race.
Al-Khaleej, meanwhile, were not short of motivation going into the game as they are just one place above the relegation zone. Al-Haidari, though, has revealed that Ronaldo's presence at Al-Nassr gave Al-Danah further incentive to cause an upset at Mrsool Park.
"(Earning) a point against a team the size of Al-Nassr and their stars is valuable, and the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo motivates all players," Al-Haidari said (via Kooora). "We need every point, and shine with the grace of God. We will do everything we have for the last set of games, and God willing, we will not go down."
Al-Nassr have only won one of their last four games and also crashed out of the King's Cup last month. Having been knocked out of all cup competitions and fallen five points behind in the title race, they are likely to the end the season empty-handed.
Life in Saudi far from ideal for Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr on a free transfer after leaving Manchester United by mutual consent last December, putting pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Al-Aalami made the forward the highest-paid player in the world (£175 million a year) to lure him to Saudi Arabia.
The Portuguese icon appeared to be enjoying his life in the Middle East as he bagged 11 goals in his first nine Saudi Pro League appearances. However, things have been far from ideal for him recently.
Ronaldo has only scored once in Al-Nassr's last five games across competitions, often leading him to cut a frustrated figure after matches. He rejected an Al-Khaleej staff member's advances for a selfie on Monday (8 May), angrily shoving the person away.