Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammate went against instruction from fitness coach to help Al-Nassr during narrow win over Al-Ettifaq: Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate Marcelo Brozovic went against the instruction of the club's fitness coach during the 1-0 King Cup of Champions win against Al-Ettifaq on October 31.
According to a report, the fitness coach informed Luis Castro that the Croatian midfielder would only be able to play 50 minutes of the match. Brozovic, though, played 122 minutes during the slender win.
Knights of Najd sealed the win, courtesy of an extra time strike from Sadio Mane. The Senegalese scored in the 107th minute of the match at the Al-Awwal Park.
Both sides went down to 10 men during the game after Anderson Talisca and Ali Azazi were sent off. Cristiano Ronaldo was also shown a yellow card during the fixture.
Midfield maestro Brozovic, meanwhile, played the entire game. He completed 126 passes with an eye-watering 97% accuracy, once again proving his role as the main orchestrator of Castro's team.
Brozovic also made two key passes and completed 10 long balls during the game. The 30-year-old has made 12 appearances across competitions for Al-Nassr this season, scoring one goal and providing three assists.
Courtesy of their win, Al-Alami sealed a spot in the quarter-finals of the King Cup of Champions. They will return to action on November 4, taking on Al-Khaleej in a home Saudi Pro League clash.
Last season's SPL runner-ups are currently second in the league table, with 25 points from 11 matches. They trail league leaders Al-Hilal by four points.
Cristiano Ronaldo reacted to Al-Nassr's win against Al-Ettifaq
Cristiano Ronaldo took to social media to react to Al-Nassr's recent win against Al-Ettifaq. While the Portuguese didn't get on the scoresheet, he lauded the team's spirit.
Luis Castro's men had to toil hard to get the win against Steven Gerrard's side. Ronaldo was impressed with the fans as he wrote on Instagram after the match:
"Amazing spirit from the Team!💪🏽Incredible support from our fans that helped us to fight until the end!"
Ronaldo has been in impressive form so far this season, scoring 14 goals and providing eight assists in 15 matches across competitions. He is currently the Saudi Pro League's top scorer, netting 11 goals in 10 matches. Fans will keep a keen eye on whether the 38-year-old can deliver in the upcoming showdown against Al-Khaleej.