Cristiano Ronaldo has proven to be a phenomenal asset for the Al Nassr team. Even after scoring a double in the AFC Champions League, Ronaldo opted to step aside, allowing players like Anderson Talisca to take the spotlight.
Remarkably, despite the absence of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr’s 3-2 victory in the AFC Champions League over Al-Duhail on Tuesday, November 7, reportedly became the most-watched game of 2023.
Al Nassr seals record-breaking viewership without Ronaldo
Al Nassr manager Luis Castro opted not to include the Portuguese star in the squad for their match against Al Duhail at the Khalifa International Stadium. Despite Ronaldo’s absence, the Knights of Najd managed to secure a victory, with Anderson Talisca stepping up. What’s more, Al Nassr also set a viewership record for 2023 despite the absence of their star player.
Al Nassr made a strategic decision to rest several of their top players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, for their match against Al Duhail due to their demanding schedule. However, this gamble proved to be successful, as the Riyadh team emerged victorious with a 3-2 win. Andreas Talisca took the spotlight by scoring a hat trick for Al Nassr. Despite Ronaldo’s absence, the game garnered attention for various intriguing factors.
According to journalist Ali Al-Harbi, “Viewings of the Al-Nasr Saudi Club match, which was played at Khalifa International Stadium, achieved the highest viewership in the world during the year 2023, as it exceeded the number of views of ten AFC Champions League matches and five European Champions League matches despite the absence of the legend Cristiano Ronaldo”.
Andreas Talisca’s hat trick steals the show in Al Nassr’s victory
On Tuesday night, Anderson Talisca delivered a remarkable performance in place of Cristiano Ronaldo, securing a memorable hat-trick as Al-Nassr triumphed 3-2 against Al-Duhail. This victory allowed them to preserve their unblemished record in the current season’s Asian Champions League. With just two games remaining in the group stage, they inched closer to securing a place in the knockout rounds.
According to coach Luis Castro, Cristiano Ronaldo was being rested due to his active involvement in previous matches.
While it wasn’t a complete replication of their thrilling 4-3 victory in Riyadh against the same Qatari opponents in October, it was still a commendable win. This victory marked their 16th win in the last 17 games and was significantly driven by the in-form Brazilian Anderson Talisca.
Al-Nassr has now amassed a perfect 12 points from their four Group E matches, establishing a five-point lead over Persepolis of Iran, who are in second place. They need just one point from their remaining two group games to secure their progression to the next round of the competition.
