Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a straight red card for elbowing Ali Al-Bulayhi four minutes from time in Saudi Super Cup semi-final
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 "Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo sent off in Saudi Super Cup semi-final defeat (1)")
Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo is shown a red card after clashing with Al Hilal's Ali Al Bulayhi in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final. Reuters
In a fiery Saudi Super Cup semi-final clash between Al Nassr and Al Hilal, Cristiano Ronaldo faced a dramatic end as he was shown a straight red card for elbowing an opponent in the closing minutes of the match. The game ended in a 2-1 victory for Al Hilal, with Ronaldo’s dismissal coming when his team were already trailing 2-0.
A tense encounter culminated in Ronaldo’s sending off for an elbow on Ali Al-Bulayhi even though Al Nassr found a late consolation goal.
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Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said Ronaldo is so accustomed to winning that he cannot accept defeat. “Ronaldo is one of the most important players in the world and an example for many.
“But he’s not used to losing in his career, so it is natural for him to lose his head when he loses, as well as for him to lose emotional and mental focus in defeats.
“It’s not easy to play against [Al Hilal’s Kalidou] Koulibaly and Al-Bulayhi, they are the best central defenders in Saudi football. I’m not going to take credit away from Ronaldo, he’s still very strong, he always has been and will continue to be the most important player in the world, he’s an example and a model.”
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/4E22ImciYT
— Fut Sheriff (@FutSheriff) April 8, 2024
After receiving being shown the red card, Ronaldo appeared to raise his fist in a punching gesture toward the referee, who had already turned his back on the 39-year-old.
Al Nassr publicly expressed their disappointment with the decision on social media, suggesting the game’s outcome was pre-determined.
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The club wrote on social media: “You can’t change what was already decided before! Thanks to our fans.”
Al Nassr coach Luis Castro claimed VAR should have intervened as the sending off was unwarranted. “It is difficult to talk about the incident in which Ronaldo received the red card,” Castro said.
“We’ve seen several clips throughout this season where Ronaldo was provoked and, after seeing some footage, Ronaldo didn’t do anything that merited sending off. The rival player [Al-Bulayhi] pretended [to have been hit.]
“There was little contact between Cristiano and the rival defender. He caused a scene and the VAR should have called the referee to review the episode of the sending off.”
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The defeat is a blow to Ronaldo and Al Nassr, who are likely to end the campaign without silverware. They’re out of the domestic cup and the Asian Champions League and are 12 points behind leaders Al Hilal with seven games left in the league season.
The match saw Al Hilal take the lead in the 62nd minute when Salem Al-Dawsari coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner after a swift counter-attack initiated by a flick from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Brazilian forward Malcolm extended Al Hilal’s lead in the 72nd minute with a well-placed header, capitalising on a precise cross from Michael to find himself unmarked in the box.
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Despite the odds stacked against them, Al Nassr managed to pull one back in stoppage time through former Liverpool star Sadio Mane, who converted a pass from Abdulrahman Ghareeb. However, it was too little too late for Al Nassr as Al Hilal secured their spot in the final.
Looking ahead, Al Hilal will be aiming for a record-extending fourth title as they face Al-Ittihad, led by Karim Benzema, in the final.
Al-Ittihad booked their place in the final by defeating Al-Wehda 2-1 in the other semi-final, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown between two formidable teams vying for the Saudi Super Cup trophy.
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