On Saturday, Al-Nassr defeated Al-Hilal 2-1 in extra time and secured the title of the Arab Champions Cup. Michael, former player of Flamengo, opened the scoring for the team led by Jorge Jesus at the six-minute mark of the second half. Interestingly, the Brazilian striker performed his signature celebration, inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the 29th minute of the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo received a cross from the right and equalized the game by finishing inside the penalty area. Later, at the eighth minute of extra time, the renowned Portuguese player once again demonstrated his opportunism in the area by heading the ball into the net, securing the turnaround.
At the start of extra time, Al-Nassr’s coach, Luis Castro, who had previously been associated with Botafogo, was sent off due to a heated argument with the referee. The standout figure of the game, Cristiano Ronaldo, was substituted at the 10-minute mark of the second half of extra time due to knee pain after a collision with an opponent.
After the match ended, at the beginning of the champions’ celebration, Brazilian player Anderson Talisca grabbed an Al-Nassr flag from the fans and carried it to the center of the field, where he intended to plant it. However, Al Bulayhi, Al-Hilal’s defender, was not pleased with this action, and he pulled the flag from the Brazilian’s hands, sparking a confrontation.
Cristiano Ronaldo put an end to a streak of seasons without winning titles. The renowned player didn’t lift any trophies during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, playing for Manchester United and Al-Nassr. However, at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, he claimed his first tournament victory while playing in Saudi Arabia.
The Arab Champions Cup is an annual tournament that began in 1981. The competition brings together the top teams from the “Arab world.” It consists of 38 participating clubs, with 19 representatives from Asia and 19 from the African continent.
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