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Al-Nassr player makes ‘difficult’ admission about Cristiano Ronaldo presence.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr teammate Luiz Gustavo believes that the former Manchester United player’s mere presence ‘makes it difficult’ for his new team due to the added motivation that it offers to their opponents.
The Riyadh-based team is still in first place in the Saudi Pro League, but in the four games that their star signing has played in since leaving United and moving to the region, they have only won one.
The 38-year-old did score his first goal in a match since the switch on Friday, but the penalty kick in the 93rd minute was only enough to earn a draw against Al Fateh.
That 2-2 draw followed an exit at the semi-final stages of the Saudi Super Cup against the competition’s eventual winners Al-Ittihad late last month, which meant Ronaldo missed out on picking up the first possible piece of silverware in the country.
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In the aforementioned two games, Gustavo has played behind his new teammate in midfield and has talked about the effect of the player’s presence on the field.
“Certainly, the presence of Cristiano makes it difficult for us, as all teams seek to participate against him in the best possible way, and he gives motivation to everyone,” the former Bayern Munich player told RT Arabic.
Gustavo added, though, that this motivation extends to Ronaldo’s teammates too. “His presence at Al-Nassr gives a great advantage to the group because we learn from him everyday, given the great capabilities he possesses, both technically and physically.
“Cristiano Ronaldo was created for challenges, and he always succeeds in them. And everyone here is waiting for what he will present. He has already scored his first goal, and he therefore got rid of the pressure.”