Al Nassr manager Rudi Garcia has praised his side for getting on Cristiano Ronaldo’s wavelength and helping the striker score four in Thursday’s victory over Al Wehda.
After scoring just once in his first three appearances, Ronaldo exploded against Al Wehda with all four goals in a comfortable 4-0 victory, who find themselves 13th in the 16-team Saudi Pro League.
His first goal was Ronaldo’s 500th across the five different leagues in which he has played, with the record-setting striker now sitting on 503 goals.
“Ronaldo has reached a great stage of consistency and harmony with his teammates,” Garcia reflected. “Over time, his teammates understood what he wanted and when he was going to score.
“I think it was a good night for Cristiano Ronaldo because he scored four goals.”
The goals came shortly after Ronaldo was targeted by some unfair criticism in the media following comments from Al Nassr teammate Luiz Gustavo, whose admission that the 38-year-old joining the team had made life ‘difficult’ was widely repeated out of context.
“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 Brazilian told RT Arabic.
“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.”
