Cristiano Ronaldo missed Al Nassr’s impressive 6-2 victory over Pakhtakor in the AFC Champions League Elite. Coach Ange Postecoglou has explained why the Portuguese superstar was left out.
Ronaldo Left Out as Al Nassr Score Six Goals in Huge Victory
Cristiano Ronaldo was surprisingly left out of Al Nassr’s squad as the Saudi Arabian club secured an impressive 6-2 victory over Pakhtakor in the AFC Champions League Elite.
The 41-year-old Portuguese superstar did not travel to Uzbekistan for the match on November 2.
Despite his absence, Al Nassr produced an outstanding attacking performance.
However, head coach Ange Postecoglou has now explained why Ronaldo was not involved.
Why was Cristiano Ronaldo left out?
Postecoglou confirmed that Ronaldo was rested because of the team’s busy schedule and long journeys.
Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan were also left out for the same reason.
The Australian coach explained that the decision was made to protect his players from the physical pressure of playing too many matches.
Ronaldo had recently scored a hat-trick in Al Nassr’s 5-3 victory over Al Kholood, taking his career total to 985 goals.
His absence against Pakhtakor was therefore a planned rest, not a punishment.
Al Nassr score six goals without Ronaldo
Even without their captain, Al Nassr had little trouble finding the net.
João Félix scored twice in the first half, while Abdullah Al-Hamdan also got on the scoresheet.
Abdulelah Al-Amri, Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Ângelo added three more goals to complete the 6-2 victory.
The result showed that Al Nassr have several attacking players capable of scoring important goals.
The victory also moved the Saudi club to fourth place in the West Region standings.
Al Nassr coach responds to Ronaldo’s absence
After the match, Postecoglou was asked about his team’s ability to score six goals without Ronaldo.
The coach rejected suggestions that Ronaldo’s absence explained the impressive scoreline.
He pointed out that Al Nassr had scored five goals in their previous match with Ronaldo playing, and the Portuguese star had scored three of them.
Postecoglou stressed that winning matches and delivering strong team performances were more important than which players were on the pitch.
When will Ronaldo return?
Al Nassr are scheduled to face Al Hazem in the Saudi Pro League on November 6.
Ronaldo could return for that match after being given a rest, although his place in the starting lineup has not been confirmed.
For now, Al Nassr have shown their attacking strength without their biggest star, while Ronaldo prepares to continue his chase for 1,000 career goals.
