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English Championship club Middleborough took a dig at Cristiano Ronaldo following his outburst against Scotland in their UEFA Nations League clash. Ronaldo fired a blank as Portugal were held to a goalless draw by the Scots at Hampden Park on Tuesday, October 15.
The Al-Nassr superstar had a relatively quiet game, managing four shots, with only one hitting the target. He was also angry at the referee for blowing the final whistle when Portugal were about to take a corner kick. The Real Madrid legend stormed off the pitch after the game.
Ben Doak, on loan at Middleborough from Liverpool, started for Scotland against Portugal. Following the game, the Championship outfit aimed a jibe at Ronaldo by posting a picture of a moment involving the Portugal captain and Doak during the game.
The Scottish winger can be seen smiling at Ronaldo, who looked frustrated. The youngster's hands were on Ronaldo’s chest as Middleborough captioned the post:
“Alright, mate?”
Despite the draw, Portugal still lead Group A1 of the UEFA Nations League with 10 points, while Scotland are rock-bottom with just a point.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored three goals in four Nations League games, including the winner in a 2-1 win over Scotland when both sides initially clashed during the September international break.
Pundit slams Portugal coach for featuring Cristiano Ronaldo regularly in starting XI
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has come under fire from ESPN pundit Steve Nicols for playing Cristiano Ronaldo as a starter in their recent Nations League matches.
Speaking on ESPN FC after Portugal's goalless draw with Scotland, Nicols said:
"You look at that side and see how talented it is, they made three subs in the second half, they brought on Neves, Bernardo Silva, and Leao. This group of players have a chance of winning a major trophy. He's doing the other players a disservice by playing Ronaldo. If he's going to keep playing Ronaldo all the way through, you can bet your bottom dollar they are not going to win the World Cup."
Ronaldo, 39, is nearing the end of his career but remains a key figure in the Portugal national team. He has amassed 216 appearances for A Selecao, scoring 123 goals and creating 45 more.
