Cristiano Ronaldo once again showcased his immense value, leading Al Nassr to a comfortable 2-0 victory against Al Wehda. The 40-year-old captain's performance keeps Al Nassr's slim hopes of clinching the Saudi Pro League title alive.
The first half saw both teams struggling to create clear-cut scoring opportunities. The breakthrough came just three minutes into the second half when substitute Angelo delivered a perfectly-placed cross to Ronaldo, who headed in his 17th league goal of the season.
In response, Al Wehda intensified their attacking efforts, making several forays into Al Nassr's half. Striker Morad Khodari had a golden chance to equalize just before the hour mark, but his close-range effort clipped the post and went off target.
During the sixth minute of stoppage time, Ronaldo's free-kick struck Al Wehda's Juninho Bacuna on the arm inside the penalty area. After a VAR review, the referee awarded Al Nassr a penalty, ruling that Bacuna's arm was in an unnatural position. Instead of taking the penalty himself, Ronaldo allowed Sadio Mane to step up and convert, sealing the 2-0 win for Al Nassr.
With this victory, Al Nassr climbs to third place in the Saudi Pro League table, eight points behind the leaders with 12 matches remaining. Meanwhile, Al Wehda remains rooted to the bottom of the table, striving to improve their standing.
Reference(s):
Cristiano Ronaldo shines as Al Nassr secure routine win over Al Wehda
cgtn.com
