Fans around the world look forward to the confrontation between Messi and Ronaldo in the friendly match taking place at the Kingdom Arena. However, they were disappointed when one day before the match between Al Nassr and Inter Miami, coach Luis Castro confirmed that Ronaldo had not recovered from his muscle injury and could not play. The Portuguese player apologized to fans on his personal page and was present to watch his teammates play.
In addition to Ronaldo, Al Nassr also does not have the services of Seko Fofana and Sadio Mane because these two players participate in the Africa Cup of Nations. However, representatives of Saudi Arabia still have good players who have played in Europe such as Otavio, Talisca, and Laporte.
On the opposite side, Messi was also placed on the bench by coach Gerardo Martino. Leonardo Campana is the face chosen to work alongside Suarez in attack.
Ronaldo was injured and he cheered his teammates on at Kingdom Arena
In just the first half, the team ranked 2nd in the Saudi Pro League shocked Inter Miami and conceded 3 goals. Otavio scored in the 3rd minute, followed by two consecutive goals from Laporte and Talisca. Compared to the match against Al Hilah (30.1), Inter Miami had a better ball control rate in the first half. However, the US representative did not create any notable opportunities.
In the second half, Al Nassr continued to show beautiful football. Brazilian player Talisca marked the perfect day by scoring two more goals in the 51st and 73rd minutes to complete his hat-trick . In between the 30-year-old player’s goals, Al Nassr ‘s highest-ranking striker , Mohammed Maran, also scored.
Talisca scored a hat-trick and celebrated in Ronaldo style
The Brazilian player received the title of best player of the match
It was not until the 83rd minute that Messi was brought onto the field to the excitement of the fans present at Kingdom Arena. The Argentinian player is constantly praised, but unfortunately the little time he has available means Messi does not leave any mark. Meanwhile, expected players such as Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets performed below their strength. In the end, Inter Miami lost 0-6 to Al Nassr.
The 0-6 loss to Al Nassr was Inter Miami’s second consecutive defeat at the Riyadh Season friendly tournament. Before that, Messi and his teammates also lost 3-4 to Al Hilah. The representative of the United States is having difficult days, going through a series of 6 consecutive matches with only draws and losses. It is expected that on February 3, Inter Miami will move to Hong Kong to continue playing a friendly match.
This is Inter Miami’s second consecutive defeat in Saudi Arabia
Messi entered the field but the time for him to perform was too little
Meanwhile, Al Nassr has the first 3 points and they will have a friendly match with Al Hilal on February 9. The season will officially return coach Luis Castro and his students with a match against Al Feiha in the AFC Champions League knock-out round on February 15.
