Fans claim Saudi Pro League 'scripted' after Cristiano Ronaldo and Martin Campana's 'strange' encounter
Cristiano Ronaldo left fans scratching their heads after a bizarre one-on-one tackle with Al Batin goalkeeper Martin Campana during Al Nassr's 3-1 win on Friday.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner moved to Saudi Arabia following a sensational free transfer when Ronaldo signed a lucrative contract with Al Nassr.
Ronaldo, who has a contract until 2025, has scored eight goals and provided two assists in six appearances for Al Nassr.
The 38-year-old Portuguese forward nearly scored against Al Batin in his side's clash at Mrsool Park, only to see his effort go spectacularly off the line.
However, fans were left baffled when Ronaldo's attempt was denied as they watched superstar Al Nassr catch at the end of an excessive ball. Footage shows Ronaldo dashing towards the net of Al Batin and engaging in a one-on-one encounter with Uruguay international Campana.
Campana strangely lunged towards the Manchester United and Real Madrid legend on the edge of the box, assuming Ronaldo was about to hit him.
But Ronaldo easily dribbled around Campana and then shot a weak shot into the net, but the Al Batin players promptly blocked it.
The footage has since gone viral on social media, with one fan even humorously suggesting that the Saudi Pro League is "scripted".
One fan tweeted:
"Why is he dancing?"
Another Twitter user wrote:
"There's no way that would happen."
A third fan said: “The goalkeeper thought Ronaldo was going to kick the ball.
Another commented:
"I also have to buy this script."
While a fifth said:
“Look [the] RB and [the] goalkeeper. What is its level of protection? Ronaldo really plays at an 'amateur' level in real life, OMG."
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Without a doubt, this is one of the craziest matches Cristiano Ronaldo has played. His new team, Al-Nassr, face Al Batin, who are 16th in the standings with 6 points (37 points behind Al-Nassr before the game).
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Al Batin, which closed Saudi Arabia's group at 17 minutes, was set to cause a stir. That's when he took over. Uruguayan striker Renzo Lopez successfully capitalized on Bukia's header. One of the defenders tried to block with his hand but the ball still went over the goal line. The action was checked by VAR, but there was no reason to deny the goal.
Ronaldo had a chance to equalize before the break. After a good combination, he passed the defenders, goalkeepers and shot into the empty net. At the last moment, one of the defenders broke the ball over the line. Then the Portuguese tried to take the free kick. He hit too high. He was even better in the second half. He threw a perfect cross into the box, made the shot but the ball hit the opponent's foot and flew off the post. The 38-year-old's impotence reached its peak. He missed another free kick in the final 10 minutes of regulation time, then missed on a direct header.
The great return of Al-Nassr. Ronaldo's teammates did their job. Three overtime goals
Ronaldo's inefficiencies are too much. During the extra time, his teammates solved the problem themselves. They had more than enough time for that when the referee added 12 minutes. The Outsider's coach laughed when he saw the bright sign. In the third minute of injury time, Abdulrahman Ghareeb delivered a long pass from behind Luiza Gustavo into the bottom corner of the goal. Moments later, Al Batin was able to take the lead again and Lopez scored a second shot. He spotted the tall keeper and tried to surprise him with a half-court shot. He had a bit of luck.
Al-Nassr scored after 102 minutes. Al Fatil took advantage of a mistake in the penalty area. He aimed for the bottom corner at close range. Two minutes later, Mohammend Maran made it 3-1. He excellently finished Ghareeb's save and passed with a precise technical shot.
Al-Nassr continues to lead the Saudi rankings thanks to his victory. After 19 matches, they are 2 points ahead of the second ranked team, Al-Ittihad. Ronaldo did not increase his goals this time, he can thank his teammates for that.
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