Cristiano Ronaldo allowed frustration and anger to get the better of him during the heaviest defeat of his Al Nassr career on Tuesday night, lashing out at Al Ain midfielder Matías Palacios.
Al Nassr lost 4–0 in their first match of this season’s AFC Champions League Elite—Ronaldo himself hasn’t lost by that scoreline since Manchester United’s surprise humiliation at the hands of Brentford in the early weeks of the 2022–23 Premier League.
His team was down by three goals when Ronaldo clashed with Palacios deep into the second half. The Al Ain player was covering the Portuguese superstar as Al Nassr attacked, blocking off his attempted run into the box. There was a light hold from Palacios, but Ronaldo responded with what seemed much greater force. He used his elbow to try and free himself and both players went tumbling to the ground. No punishment was dished out.
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