Al-Nassr 0-0 Al-Ettifaq – King Cup LIVE: Talisca’s goal is ruled out and then he is sent OFF as Cristiano Ronaldo renews rivalry with Steven Gerrard in cup competition

Someone has been sent off.. but who?! We’ll get back to you on that.

Ronaldo’s team head it away but Al-Ettifaq come again and put them under pressure. Al-Nassr have hold of it but Gerrard’s team have picked up in the last few minutes and made inroad down the left.

Saad Al Mosa on for Abdulrahamn at right-back.

Jack Hendyr slid in to tackle Ronaldo and the Portuguese striker wasn’t happy, handling him by the shoulders and head as he gets up. Nothing too malicious, just letting him know not to do it again.

The former Liverpool man is sweating and looked annoyed as his side lost possession with a long ball. They’ve loooked second-best this half in every department.

Ronaldo’s knuckleball free-kick hit the wall, but he then looped a cross back post and Al-Amri was there but just hit it wide!

They are BAYING for a card here. The referee has given a free-kick for a handball outside the box after Ronaldo shot, but no card has been given. He swung his arms up to get the crowd even more pumped up in venom against the officials.

Al-Nassr are livid here. The linesman has just put his flag up for an Al-Ettifaq throw against Otavia despite him dribbling it nowhere near over the line. The ball maybe touhced the line, but was even any of it over the line? Bizarre decision.

Ahmed Al-Ghamdi is on for Hamed Al-Ghamdi on the right wing.

Good effort that!

Telles whipped it with his left foot across goal. it was more of a crossing angle, but he went for the far post and had the goalkeeper beaten! Just wide.

Goalkeeper Paulo Victor is now down and receiving treatment.

He cut Otavio down as he surged down the right. Free-kick level with the penalty line, Alex Telles on it.

Wonderful dive from Al-Etifaq’s goalkeeper there!

Alex Telles whipped in a beautiful ball and it looked destined for Ronaldo’s head, but Al-Ettifaq’s ‘keeper dove out at full stretch and palmed it away.

He was late to a challenge against Aymeric Laporte. Could have been quicker. Shades of fatigue and frustration in that.

Not much to report from the last few minutes but Steven Gerrard’s team managed to keep hold of it for quite a while, which has been a rarity for them in this game.

Not bad that from Al-Nassr. The pace is picking up.

Otavia released Ronaldo down the right side of the box, he gets to the byline, pulls it back, but a defender just beats Mane to it to clear.

There’s no denying that Saudi Arabia has genuine football fans.

Lots of flares and smoke in this half, a constant drum, chanting, and yellow flags waving adorned with the Al-Nassr badge. Sounds like the whole ground is joining in.

Mind, the stadium is nowhere near full. Certain sections are pretty empty higher up in the stands from the shots we’ve seen, but it’s a decent turnout and the support is strong.

Mane was teed up on the edge of the ear and curled a shot with his right boot, but rather than spinning into the top right corner as he imagined, it went low and floated into the goalkeeper’s hands. Not a bad effort, just needed more power.

Al-Amri lost control of the ball and stood on Henderson as he tried to recover it, but the former Liverpool man is fine.

Beautiful work there on the left flank from Alex Telles for Al-Nassr. Under pressure, he just slips it past his man, runs round him the other way, and leaves him in the dust. He hasn’t lost it.

He went down quickly there and his team-mates are gathered around him. Looks like his toe was caught as he was kicked but nothing serious.

Al-Nassr get us going.

Lots of protests on social media saying he was sent off for ‘nothing’ but it looks like he lashes out there with his arm and connects with the opponent’s head.

Let’s have a look at how some of Al-Nassr’s stars have been getting on so far.

• Ronaldo: 6.5/10. His presence looms over this game and he had a good impact in the first 30 minutes, but Al-Ettifaq have stifled him somewhat. When he gets on the ball, he is an instant danger.
• Sadio Mane: 5/10. Not his usual sparkling self. has seemed anonymous on the left wing and Al-Ettifaq’s compact shape hasn’t left him much space to work with.
• Marcel Brozovic: 7/10. The conduit through which everything flows. He is always an option, no matter what stage of an attack Al-Nassr are at. Often the first to pick up the ball from a defender, turn, and carry it.
• Aymeric Laporte: 7/10. Looked solid when called upon and comfortable in possession.

Al-Ettifaq:

• Jordan Henderson: 6/10. Got on the ball a bit but hasn’t created much, besides a chance for Wijnaldum.
• Georginio Wijnaldum: 5.5/10. Hasn’t had too much of an impact on the game so far.

Well, what an ending to the half!

Al-Nassr thought they had taken the lead through Talisca, only for a VAR check to rule that he was offside.

Minutes later, Talisca is given a yellow for a foul, only for VAR to upgrade it to a red. Talisca’s worst enemy is either VAR or himself, it seems.

Luis Castro, Al-Nassr’s manager, is remonstrating with the referee in the middle of the park amid a throng of bodies as other players march down the tunnel. Ronaldo looked furious.

Talisca has been sent off after a foul! He was initially given a yellow card, but that has been upgraded after a check. He appears to have fouled an opponent and lashed out with his arm, hitting him in the face. Dramatic scenes.

A chorus of boos rises from the stands as the referee reviews footage of the goal and decides that Cristiano Ronaldo was offside immediately before Talisca scored.

The cross from the left side was beautiful and looping, but Ronaldo’s boot was beyond his marker as the ball was played and they judged that he interfered with play. Tricky call. Talisca was nowhere near offside and ran from deep but Ronaldo certainly got near the ball.

Taslica was the one who got on the cross from the left flank and converted first time.

Another Al-Nassr chance there. Another bit of danger from Otavio. He hit a shot from a tight angle but Victor saved.

That free-kick looked so well-worked!

Al-Ettifaq stood stock still as Marcelo Brozovic dinked the ball over the top down the right, but the goalkeeper got out to smother Ronaldo’s shot and it turned out he had mistimed his run anyway.

Not much luck so far for Sadio Mane – Al-Ettifaq are compact down their right flank and containing him well.

Jordan Henderson just put a delicious outswinging corner in the penalty spot region, but Al-Nassr wanted it more and headed away.

Al-Nassr are really competent in possession, but it’s not leading anywhere. Ronaldo looks on the edge of things – he’s well-marked and hasn’t been getting on the ball much in the last ten minutes.

It’s a backs-against-the-wall operation these last few minutes for Al-Ettifaq.

Lots of nice building form Ronaldo’s team, but then Marcel Brozovic takes a shot from range, semeingly out of frustration, and it’s pretty limp and easy to save.

Crazy stuff here.

There was a crunching tackle on Otavio in Al-Ettifaq’s penalty area, but the referee wasn’t having any of it. While Otavio stayed down, Gerrard’s team counter.

Demarai Gray found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, then rounds him with a deft touch, but a sliding defender makes sure his shot doesn’t go in. Should have been 1-0, really.

Right-back Nawaf Boushal has come off injured to be replaced by Abdullah Al-Khaibari.

Steven Gerrard was in deep discussion with Demarai Gray and the winger was gesticulating, seemingly about tactics. Back playing now.

Ronaldo is clearly the most dangerous man on the pitch:

• Al-Nassr are using him as their target man down the middle through which most attacks go, or he’ll peel off to the side between a centre-back and full-back to get beyond the back line.
• Perfectly weighted passes to bring team-mates into play.
• Has had a shot blocked.
• When he gets on the ball and starts dribbling, the opposition back off. Al-Ettifaq have a pretty low block.

Ronaldo came at Al-Ettifaq there with his trademark stepover and twisted the defenders inside out, but his shot was blocked!

He had tried to squeeze it through the morass of legs into the far corner with his left and the ‘keeper looked beaten enough had it got through, but fortunately for Al-Ettifaq a defender was there.

That was a marauding run from Al-Nassr left-back Hamdan Al-Shamrani there, and he looked as if he was tripped as he went into the area, but his penalty shout was dismissed.

Al-Nassr got beyond the backline of their opponents there but Otavio couldn’t make the most of it. He got to the goalline and tried to pull it back, but his team-mates had already ran beyond the pass onto the goalkeeper. Wasted chance.

Ronaldo’s anger has got him a yellow card after he shouted in the referee’s face.

Ronaldo is irate and screaming in the referee’s face after he fell under a challenge on the edge of the area. Lots of boos from the crowd but nothing is given.

Jordan Henderson did really well there. he picked up the ball 25 yards out and took on a man before dinking a neat through ball past the oncoming defenders, but Georginio Wijnaldum could only fire straight at the ‘keeper from the right edge of the area.

Al-Ettifaq just had three shots, but three times they were denied.

Al-Nassr were open down the left and Gerrard’s team countered and should have done better. Goalkeeper Alagidi made fine saves despite the likes of Demarai Gray having a go. Could have been a goal there.

Otavio lofted in a cross from the left and Talisca tried to win it, but Al-Ettifaq deal with it and it’s out for a corner.

Al-Nassr struggle to threeaten with the set-piece from the left and eventually Al-Ettifaq get a free-kick in their own half.

Steven Gerrard’s men have finally seen some possession but haven’t done much with it.

They looked panicked and booted it long, losing it. When they won it back, they immediately ran into danger.

Swaddled in a royal blue with golden players names and numbers, Al-Nassr have seen most of the ball so far and are just feeling their way around.

Talisca picked up the ball on the edge of the areaand cut onto his left, but his shot is wild and wide across goal.

And we’re away!

Steven Gerrard is on the touchline surverying the view before him while his counterpart, Luis Castro, sits in his dugout.

A gigantic green drape is being shaken over the centre circle as an anthem plays, which the players sing.

Players and staff exchanged embraces in the tunnel and music is playing as they walk out.

Not long to go now – kick-off expected in under ten minutes.

Al-Nassr sit second in the Saudi Pro League, while Al-Ettifaq sit seventh. They contest this round of 16 tie having both won by a margin of four goals in the previous round.

• Al-Nassr are unbeaten in their last 14 games and have scored four or more in seven of those games.
• Al-Ettifaq have only won one of their last four, but did win four in a row before that.
• Cristiano Ronaldo is the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League with 11 goals.

Good afternoon and thanks for tuning in to Mail Sport’s live blog of Al-Nassr vs Al-Ettifaq in the King Cup of Champions!

We’re set to see lots of big names take part in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcel Brozovic, Aymeric Laporte, and Alex Telles for Al-Nassr, while Al-Ettifaq field Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Demarai Gray and are managed by Steven Gerrard.

Kick-off is at 2.45pm.