Cristiano Ronaldo once again proved why is he important for for Saudi Saudi-based club Al-Nassr. On Friday, the Portuguese star handled the pressure and scored a dramatic last-minute penalty, giving his team a crucial lead. Although Al-Shabab had a chance to equalise soon after, they missed their penalty, allowing Al-Nassr to claim victory.
This win keeps Al-Nassr within striking distance of Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal. Facing a tough opponent like Al-Shabab, who were only two points behind, Al-Nassr needed the win to stay in the title race, and Ronaldo made sure they did.
Al-Nassr strikes first
The first half was closely fought, with few clear chances. It wasn’t until 24 minutes into the second half that Aymeric Laporte gave Al-Nassr the lead, scoring with a well-placed left-footed shot after a corner and a scramble in the box.
However, the lead was short-lived. In the 90th minute, substitute Ali Al-Hassan accidentally scored an own goal while trying to block Nawaf Al-Sadi’s cross, allowing Al-Shabab to equalize.
Ronaldo scores the penalty
Despite the late setback, Al-Nassr kept pushing for a winner. Their persistence paid off when Abdulrahman Ghareeb was fouled in stoppage time, resulting in a penalty. Ronaldo stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick.
With over 97 minutes played, the game wasn’t over yet. Al-Shabab mounted one last attack and earned a penalty after a VAR check.
Ronaldo secures a tough win for Al-Nassr
However, unlike Ronaldo, Al-Shabab’s Abderrazak Hamdallah missed the penalty, hitting the post. This allowed Al-Nassr to hold on for a hard-earned victory.
At the top of the Saudi Pro League, Al-Hilal leads with 21 points after seven consecutive wins. Despite Neymar Jr.’s absence, they comfortably beat Al Feiha 3-0. Al-Nassr, now second with 17 points, are closely followed by Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad, who have 15 points with a game in hand against Al Qadisiya.
