Cristiano Ronaldo Finds the Net Again as Al Nassr Triumphs

Cristiano Ronaldo exhibited his scoring prowess once more in the Saudi Pro League, securing his seventh goal of the season as Al Nassr emerged victorious with a 3-1 triumph over Al Raed. The riveting league encounter unfolded at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraydah on a Saturday.

Al Nassr, riding a wave of four consecutive victories, initially found themselves on the defensive as the home team, led by former Shakhtar Donetsk manager Igor Jovicevic, maintained control with a structured 4-4-2 formation and zonal marking strategy.

Ronaldo’s squad attempted to break through with long passes, but Al Raed’s resolute defense thwarted the visitors’ advances. The much-awaited breakthrough came on the cusp of halftime when Sadio Mane seized an opportunity, unleashing a thunderous strike from the edge of the penalty area, nestling the ball into the bottom-left corner of the net.

In a matter of seconds, a foul on Mane led to Bander Whaeshi receiving a red card, reducing the hosts to ten men just before the halftime whistle.

The second half witnessed Al Nassr capitalizing on their numerical advantage, with Anderson Talisca, renowned for his hat-trick against the same opponent in December the previous year, entering the fray as a substitute. His immediate impact was evident when he rifled in a sensational long-range shot merely four minutes into the second half.

Continuing to orchestrate the offense, Talisca, thirty minutes later, set up Ronaldo within the penalty area. Ronaldo cleverly nutmegged his marker before unleashing a shot that rippled the back of the net.

The victory propelled the visitors to the fifth position in the league standings, while Al Raed found themselves languishing in fifteenth place. Ronaldo is now poised to embark on his AFC Champions League 2023-24 campaign, with his team set to face Iranian side Persepolis on September 19.