Cristiano Ronaldo demonstrated his scoring prowess once again, as he netted his 13th goal in 14 Saudi Pro League games, helping Al Nassr to close the gap to the top of the league standings and reviving their title hopes. The Portuguese footballer broke the deadlock with a 52nd-minute penalty, his fifth successful spot-kick in Saudi Arabia, and improved his impressive tally. Al Nassr secured a vital 2-0 win over Al Ta’ee in Ha’il, with Talisca sealing the victory with a second goal in the 80th minute, earning the team three crucial points.
The gap to Al Ittihad is just three points now
Tuesday’s victory for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr was even more satisfying as their title rivals, Al Ittihad, squandered a two-goal lead on the same day to draw 2-2 with Al Hilal. In the first half, Igor Coronado and Ahmed Bamsoud scored to give Al Ittihad the lead, but they were unable to maintain their advantage. Al Hilal’s Musab Aljuwayr scored a goal just before halftime, and Michael scored a dramatic equalizer in injury time, which was initially questioned but confirmed by a VAR review. To add insult to injury, Michael performed Ronaldo’s iconic goal celebration in front of the opposing fans. The result means that Ronaldo and Al Nassr are now only three points behind Al Ittihad in the league standings, with three games remaining this season. They will next face third-placed Al-Shabab at home on Tuesday.
