Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a rallying cry to his team-mates and Al-Nassr's fans following their agonising 2-1 loss to high-flying Al-Ittihad.

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Al-Nassr lose to Al-IttihadRonaldo scores in 2-1 defeatSends message to fans Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Al-Nassr looked like they were heading for a hard-fought point after Ronaldo cancelled out ex-Real Madrid co-star Karim Benzema's opener for Al-Ittihad, before Steven Bergwijn scored in second-half stoppage time to secure all three points for the hosts. Following that damaging loss, the 39-year-old vowed that his team will bounce back from this setback.

AdvertisementWHAT CRISTIANO RONALDO SAID

Alongside an Instagram photo of him and his team-mates huddled together on the pitch, he wrote on the social media platform: "We will come back stronger."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Al-Nassr are now 11 points behind Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Ittihad with just 13 games played. After finishing a distant second to Al-Hilal last season, they are currently down in fourth and their title hopes may already be over. Ronaldo's search for a trophy with the Saudi team may have to wait a while longer.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

Ronaldo's Al-Nassr will look to return to winning ways after the mid-season break when they host Al Akhdoud on January 9, 2025.