Al-Nassr match today

AL ITTIHAD 3-1 AL-NASSR: Cristiano Ronaldo saw his new club comfortably defeated in the semi-finals of the Saudi Super Cup, meaning the superstar's trophy ...

Instead, Garcia may need to go back to the drawing board as he searches for a way to bring the best out of his captain. A series of step-overs drew the loudest celebration, with referee Danny Makkeile also jeered whenever he made a decision against Al-Nassr. While many expected Ronaldo to take the Saudi league by storm when he arrived, the 37-year-old will also see his wait for a competitive goal go into a third game. In truth, Santo's men looked comfortable for much of the night and will progress into the final. The King Fahd International Stadium was packed out for the semi-final clash on Thursday night. That warning ringed true again on Thursday night with Garcia's men struggling to create opportunities for their star man. The Al-Nassr captain could be seen gesturing towards his team-mates frequently as they fell behind. Though they dominated the early possession, the defending for Al-Ittihad's opener was dreadful. But the superstar struggled in the semi-final, missing a golden chance to equalise after Romarinho put Al Ittihad ahead following a well-worked team move. But those hopes were extinguished, for the time being at least, on Thursday night. But Muhannad Shanqeeti buried any hope of comeback with Al Ittihad's third goal in stoppage time. It may only be his third game in Saudi Arabia, but suggestions that the penny is starting to drop for Ronaldo that he made a mistake in joining Al-Nassr may be growing.