‘He cheats and still loses!’: Ronaldo hits out after caught spying on opposition tactics in first defeat of season

Ronaldo was caught peeking at the opposition’s tactics before Al-Nassr suffered their first defeat of the season. Cristiano Ronaldo has never been one to leave a competitive edge unexplored.But even by Ronaldo’s standards, his latest attempt to gain an advantage was pretty cheeky.Captain Al-Nassr was caught on camera appearing to take a sneak peek at Al-Ittihad defender Danilo’s tactical instructions during Saturday’s Saudi Pro League clash, providing one of the lighter moments in an otherwise furiously tense night.Unfortunately for Ronaldo, the laugh didn’t last as long as the joke.

Ronaldo caught peeking at Al-Ittihad’s tactics

The amusing incident unfolded during a tense spell when Danilo received a piece of paper with tactical instructions from the Al-Ittihad bench.Ronaldo immediately stood up next to the defender and appeared to take the opportunity to take a quick look at what was written on the ticket.Danilo soon noticed what his opponent was doing and turned to Ronaldo as the two exchanged a smile.A carefree exchange of views momentarily cut through the tension of a furious brawl.But Ronaldo’s attempt at tactical espionage ultimately didn’t help Al-Nassr much.The Portuguese forward played the full 90 minutes but was unable to find the goal to save his side from their first defeat of the season.His best effort was denied by Predrag Rajkovic and the Al-Ittihad keeper produced a superb second-half performance to protect his side’s advantage.And after the final whistle, Al-Ittihad seemed to have the last laugh.The Jeddah club posted a message on X aimed directly at their opponents with the caption:“He’s cheating and still losing!”The post appeared to refer to Ronaldo’s attempt to look at the written tactical instructions, adding another sting to what was already a frustrating situation for captain Al-Nassr.

Ilenikhena’s double ended Al-Nassr’s perfect start

The result was a significant setback for Ange Postecoglou, whose Al-Nassr honeymoon came crashing down against an impressive Al-Ittihad side.Al-Ittihad needed just four minutes to take the lead.George Ilenikhena lifted home from close range and immediately put Al-Nassr under pressure.The striker thought he had doubled the advantage shortly after when he raced through to find the net, but the effort was ruled out for offside.He didn’t have to wait long for the next opportunity.In the 22nd minute, Ilenikhena collected a pass from Houssem Aouar and then made it 2-0 with a great finish over the goalkeeper.Al-Nassr responded before half-time.João Félix saw his effort saved by Rajkovic, but Angelo Gabriel was quickest to react to the rebound and cut in before the break.It turned out to be Al-Nassr’s only breakthrough.Rajkovic stood firm throughout the second half, denying Ronaldo and his team-mates as Ittihad held on for victory.The defeat leaves Al-Nassr three points behind league leaders Al-Hilal, while Al-Ittihad climb to fourth with 11 points.There was also controversy surrounding Al-Nassr’s goal, with Al-Ittihad supporters arguing that Angel’s effort should have been ruled out for offside.None of this changed the outcome.Al-Ittihad had three points, Al-Nassr suffered their first defeat of the season and Ronaldo failed to turn his cheeky attempt to expose the opposition’s tactics into anything tangible.At least Danilo laughed.However, Al-Ittihad made sure they got the last word.