Al Wehda defeated 10-man Al Nassr 1-0 in Monday’s King Cup semi-final at KSU stadium, robbing Cristiano Ronaldo of an additional opportunity to claim a trophy.
Cristiano’s prospects of adding to an already impressive list of accolades with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia were dashed on Monday when his team was eliminated from the King Cup by a single goal at home against Al Wehda.
The visitors, who last won the trophy in 1966, qualified for the final due to an acrobatic goal by French striker Jean-David Beauguel in the middle of the opening half.
Al Wehda were forced to play almost the entirety of the second half with ten men after center-back Abdullah Al-Hafith was sent off for a challenge on Cristiano, his second caution of the match.
A couple of months earlier, Al Nassr had beaten the same opponents 4-0 with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring all four goals, so the numerical advantage did not provide much assistance.
Al Nassr has defeated Al Wehda both at home and away in the Pro League this season, but José Luis Sierra’s squad will advance to the final, where Al-Hilal awaits.
Chances were lost
The game’s only goal occurred in the 23rd minute off a corner kick. Al Nassr failed to clear a high ball inside the penalty area, allowing Beauguel, with his back to goal, to score with a free-kick that beat Nawaf Al-Aqdi.
Cristiano’s earlier attempt was one of the game’s finest opportunities, but Munir Mohamedi saved it at the back post. The situation did not improve after the break.
Al Wehda defended their lead tenaciously, and there were few attempts on goal. José Luis Sierra reorganized his squad by removing the goal scorer and adding an additional defender, which further enraged Al Nassr.
Even VAR worked against them, with the referee allowing play to continue after reviewing three penalty appeals. In the dying seconds of the game, Cristiano grabbed at a loose ball, but his shot grazed the top of the crossbar.
It’s another disappointing chapter in a forgettable season for the Portuguese forward. After leaving Manchester United under a cloud in November, he believed his fortunes would improve with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
The team was eliminated from the Super Cup in January, is out of the King Cup, and is three points behind Al-Ittihad in the Pro League despite having played one more game.
Rudi Garca resigned two weeks ago “by mutual agreement” and the team is present without a coach. Dinko Jelicic has assumed interim leadership until a permanent coach is identified.
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