Inter Miami faces defeat as Al-Nassr dominates Riyadh Season Cup Without Ronaldo-Messi showdown
Inter Miami’s pre-season tour in Saudi Arabia hit a stumbling block as they suffered a significant defeat against Al-Nassr at the Kingdom Arena. Following a narrow loss to Al-Hilal earlier, the local team secured an emphatic 6-0 victory.
The much-anticipated showdown between Al-Nassr FC, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, and Inter Miami, boasting Lionel Messi, in the Riyadh Season Cup did not fully materialize as Ronaldo was ruled out due to fitness issues. Messi, initially on the bench, eventually entered the field.
Despite the absence of the star duo, Al Nassr dominated the spectacle. Otavio (3′, 1-0) initiated the scoring with a splendid strike, followed by Anderson Talisca (10′, 2-0) extending the lead.
Aymeric Laporte (12′, 3-0) stunned with an exceptional goal from midfield just before halftime. In the second half, Luis Castro’s team continued their goal fest.
Talisca secured a brace (51′, 4-0 on penalty, and 73′, 6-0), while Mohamed Maran (68′, 5-0) contributed to the scoreline.
Messi’s late entry at the 82nd minute had little impact as the score remained unchanged at 6-0 at the end of regulation time.
Despite the disappointment, Inter Miami looks forward to their next match against Hong Kong XI on Sunday, February 4th, hoping for a more favorable outcome in their Asian tour.
