Cristiano Ronaldo’s magic helped beat a ten-man Al-Khaleej to keep Al-Nassr’s faltering Saudi Pro League title bid alive.
…Al-Nassr beat Al-Khaleej 3-1
…Endured frustrating first half with little creativity
…Ronaldo’s second-half brace inspired Pioli’s men to victory
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When the cameras panned on Ronaldo and Marcelo Brozovic after the half-time whistle, the pair was engrossed in animated discussion while walking towards the tunnel. This was hardly surprising, as it was another frustrating 45 minutes for the Knights of Najd, with little creativity and inspiration in attack.
Just after the half-hour mark, the hosts were reduced to 10 men when Saeed Al-Hamsal was given the marching orders, and yet Al-Nassr showed little dominance. The defender handed the ball outside the penalty box but VAR deemed the intervention as a denial of a clear-cut goal scoring opportunity, which led to the expulsion. Al-Khaleej manager, Georgios Donis, lost his cool and furiously confronted the referee for the decision which saw him take a seat in the stands.
After a disastrous first half, Stefano Pioli decided to inject fresh blood into the middle and introduced Saad Hussain Haqawi and Salem Al-Najdi. However, the shake-up hardly made any difference as Al-Nassr continued to play at a snail’s pace and the frustration was palpable on Ronaldo’s face. The Portuguese frequently dropped deeper to get more touches on the ball and was persistently trying his luck from distance. He reaped his rewards in the 65th minute as he unleashed a low volley into the left corner of the net after Otavio set him up with a back flick.
But the lead was short-lived with Kostas Fortounis equalising from the spot after the ball struck Ali Lajami’s hand. However, just a minute later, Nassr once again had their noses in front when Sultan Al-Ghannam rifled in a shot at goal after he was put through on goal by Brozovic. The Croatian again split open Al-Khaleej’s defence deep in injury time to set up Haqaqi who unselfishly squared to Ronaldo to tap home into an empty net. The scoreline might be flattering but the performance was far from it. They struggled until the 80th minute and only a late surge against tired legs helped them get over the line. Their title hopes are hanging by a thread and Pioli must figure out a blueprint to improve his beleaguered squad.
THE MVP
Al-Nassr were insipid in attack and when they were clamouring for individual brilliance from their talisman, Ronaldo did not disappoint. Amid a jungle of legs, He unleashed a shot with power and precision which left the shot-stopper, Ibrahim Sehic, rooted to his spot. He has done it time and again throughout his career in Lisbon, Manchester, Madrid, Turin and now continues his heroics in Riyadh.
THE BIG LOSER
It is always difficult to contain Al-Nassr for 90 minutes and with 10-men the task becomes even more herculean. Al-Hamsal’s red card provided breathing space for Al-Nassr and up against exhausted bodies in the final quarter, Ronaldo and Co. went on a rampage to win by a healthy two-goal margin.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
After returning to winning ways in the domestic league, Al-Nassr will be back in action against Al-Fateh on Sunday.
Goal
