Yardbarker
x
Watch: Brain fade moment? Cristiano Ronaldo bizarrely tries to punch the referee after receiving a red card against Al Hilal
Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Brain fade moment? Cristiano Ronaldo bizarrely tries to punch the referee after receiving a red card against Al Hilal

Originally posted on FirstSportz  |  By Sherwin Shaju  |  Last updated 4/9/24

The semi-final of the Saudi Super Cup was eventful to say the least. From late goals in the second half to an unbelievable red card, the game oozed with adrenaline and rivalry. Despite Al-Hilal needing the better part of the second to establish a fair lead, push came to shove in the final minutes, culminating in Cristiano Ronaldo being sent off.

Adding to the incident, clips of Ronaldo’s bizzare reaction to the same have gone viral on social media. A video shows Ronaldo almost punching the referee in frustration as he promptly showed the red card to the No.7. Even though his initial reaction was to throw hands, he was later seen shaking the officials’ hand and letting out a wry smile as he made his way to the tunnel.

Several fans have called out the player for his actions, with many calling for Ronaldo to be banned. Others wondered how fans of the player will find a way to defend him eventually. His incredible 35 goal-season came to a disappointing end as Al-Nassr were thrown out of the Saudi Super Cup.

As Al-Nassr trail by 12 points to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, it seems that a repeat of last season is very much set to take place.

Cristiano Ronaldo-less Al-Nassr fall short as rivals Al-Hilal book spot in final

After last season’s disappointing exit in the semi-final of the Saudi Super Cup, Al-Hilal managed to push past Al-Nassr to book a spot in this year’s final. Goals from captain Salem Aldawsari and Malcom were enough to beat Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in an enthralling 2-1 clash. The Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium was witness to two halves which were in stark contrast to one another.

While the first half saw no goals scored, the second half was indeed one to remember. Al-Hilal skipper Salem Aldawsari emphatically fired up his team in front. Al-Nassr had a goal ruled out by VAR after officials spotted that Ronaldo was offside in the build-up to the same.

Things took a turn for the worse when former FC Barcelona man Malcom leaped over his marker to head home the winner for the hosts. The 27-year-old met a cross from Michael, and made no mistake to guide the ball into the bottom-right corner, giving no chance for the Al-Nassr keeper.

Minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off in a moment of fury. A late goal from Sadio Mane proved to be too little too late for the visitors.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.