What happened to Al Nassr without Cristiano Ronaldo in the league's debut

After the Arab Cup’s championship, Al Nassr played Saudi Arabia’s opening match against Al Ettifaq today. Without star players like Brozovic, Alex Telles, Fofana, and Talisca, Ronaldo’s team didn’t have a great debut in the mentioned tournament against the English Steven Gerrard’s squad.

The only Al Nassr world-class player who played was the Senegalese striker Sadio Mané, who scored the first goal at the beginning of the game. However, arriving at the final moments of the match, Mané scored another one but was canceled by the referee. This was the first goal of the African soccer player in his new club.

After the excellent start for Ronaldo’s teammates, the first league’s opponent of Al Nassr turned the score around thanks to the Swedish forward Robin Kwamina Quaison and the French striker Moussa Dembélé. Al Nassr will face Al Taawon next Friday night in the league’s second round looking for its first three points.

Other results from the first round were the following: Al Hilal, who is waiting for Neymar Júnior, defeated 3-1 Abha with a hattrick from the Brazilian forward Malcom; Al Ittihad won 3-0 against Al Raed with one assist from Karim Benzema and the French midfielder Ngolo Kante’s presence; and Al Shabab tied 1-1 with Al Akhdoud with the Argentinian midfielder Éver Banega in the field. 

The reason why Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t play today

The Portuguese didn’t play for Al Nassr because his trainer Luis Castro decided to give him a deserved rest after the first international trophy for the Arab club in their history. The same reason was for the Croatian Brozovic, the Brazilian defender Alex Telles, the Ivorian center midfielder Fofana, and the South American player Talisca, names which are usually starters in the lineup.