CRISTIANO RONALDO’S arrival at Al-Nassr has made games more difficult for the club, according to one of his team-mates.
The former Manchester United forward, 38, bagged his first goal for the Saudi Arabian side on Friday, scoring a stoppage-time penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw against Al Fateh.
Since beginning life as an Al-Nassr player, Ronaldo has seen his new side win, lose and draw across his three matches.
And team-mate Luiz Gustavo, who spent the peak of his career playing in Brazil’s midfield, admits there is a downside to the Portugal icon’s presence.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, he said: “The presence of Cristiano Ronaldo gives his rivals more incentive to beat the league leaders.”
Gustavo then went on to add: “His presence makes our matches more difficult. The opposing teams try to play their best against him.
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“Cristiano motivates everyone. His presence guarantees a great advantage to our group because we learn from him every day, given the great technical and physical qualities he possesses.
“Cristiano Ronaldo was created for challenges, and he always succeeds.
“He’s already scored his first goal, and so he’s taken the pressure off.”
Gustavo played for Bayern Munich, Marseille and Fenerbahce before joining Al-Nassr, winning the Bundesliga and Champions League with the Germans in 2013.
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Despite dropping points at the weekend, Al-Nassr still sit top of the Saudi Pro League on goal difference.
Rudi Garcia’s men also have a game in hand on second place Al-Shabab.
Ronaldo will be hoping to lead Al-Nassr to their first league title in four years.
Speaking on social media after bagging his first goal for the club, he said: “Happy to have scored my first goal in the Saudi league and great effort by whole team to achieve an important draw in a very difficult match! 💪🏼💛💙”.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
