"What is Al Nassr doing lmfaoo they wanna lose?" - Fans react as Cristiano Ronaldo benched for Al-Nassr's SPL clash against Damac
Cristiano Ronaldo has been rested for Al-Nassr's Saudi Pro League encounter with Damac tonight (April 5) and Luis Castro's decision hasn't gone down well with fans.
Castro's Al-Alami trail Al-Hilal by 12 points at the top of the Saudi Pro League with eight games remaining. They face Jorge Jesus' league leaders in the Saudi Super Cup semifinals on Monday (April 8).
It appears Castro has one eye on that clash as he's opted not to start Cristiano Ronaldo against Damac. They've traveled to Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner but he's settled for a place on the bench.
Al-Nassr face a Damac side who sit eighth in the league and have lost their last three outings. That's why Castro might be confident his side can get all three points without their captain.
David Ospina starts in goal, with Saudi trio Nawaf Boushal, Ali Lajami, Mohammed Qassem, and Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte in defense.
Saudi duo Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa and Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem are in midfield. Their compatriot Sami Al-Najei starts in an advanced midfield role.
Ali Alhassan and Abdulrahman Ghareeb join Meshari Al-Nemer in attack for Castro's visitors.
However, fans are disappointed not to see Ronaldo starting and one fan was left bemused:
"Man what is al nassr doing lmfaoo they wanna lose?"
Here's how other fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Cristiano Ronaldo being benched:
"Wanted to see another Ronaldo hat-trick. Hopefully he comes on second half," one fan wrote.
"Where's the GOAT??", another fan asked.
"What? Wtf is this," one fan was left unimpressed.
"What the hell is CR7 doing on the bench uh! Not satisfied at all," another fan wrote.
"Another hat-trick from the bench," another fan stated.
Luis Castro hailed Cristiano Ronaldo after his hat-trick in Al-Nassr's win vs Abha
Al-Nassr thrashed Abha 8-0 in their last Saudi Pro League game (April 2). It was a masterful performance from Castro's side that saw Cristiano Ronaldo hit a first-half hat-trick for Al-Alami.
Those goals took Ronaldo's tally for the season to 36 goals and 12 assists in 35 games across competitions. He's the Saudi Pro League's top scorer with 29 goals in 24 games.
Castro waxed lyrical about the five-time UEFA Champions League winner after that victory. He said (via GOAL):
"Ronaldo works with the team collectively, and shines regardless of the team's situation. He is very influential and is a positive example for all players."
Ronaldo continues to roll back the years at KSU Stadium since arriving in January 2023. He's transformed Al-Nassr into title challengers and raised the team's standards with his experience and passion as captain.