Cristiano Ronaldo’s kisses in response to the chants of pro Lionel Messi did not have the desired effect after the 3-0 defeat of his team Al-Nassr against Al-Hilal.
History repeated itself Friday evening at the King Fahd International Stadium. Last April, Ronaldo found himself at the center of controversy after making an indecent gesture following incessant Messi chants from Al-Hilal fans following a 2-0 defeat. This time around, the jeers were amplified by the scale of the defeat and Ronaldo remained anonymous during a relatively quiet evening.
However, this time Cr7 reacted more maturely. The Portuguese soaked up the atmosphere and blew kisses to the stands before emerging from the tunnel at half-time, with the score still 0-0.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring with a thunderous header after the hour mark. But the star of the evening was former Fulham striker Aleksandr Mitrovic, who scored twice in the final minutes of the match for seal all three points for the hosts.
Although Ronaldo found the net twice, he was ruled offside both times, adding to his frustration.
The defeat to Al-Hilal put a dent in Al-Nassr’s title aspirations. Ronaldo will make his return to the field against Istikloll on Tuesday, as part of the AFC Champions League, away.
