SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Ronaldo helps revive Al-Nassr hopes in Saudi title race
Cristiano Ronaldo revived Al-Nassr’s slim hopes of winning the Saudi Pro League title in his first season at the club after scoring a penalty to help them to a 2-0 victory over Al-Ta’ee on Tuesday.
With league leaders Al-Ittihad throwing away a two-goal advantage to draw 2-2 with Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr drew to within three points of the top spot with three games remaining in the season.
Al-Ittihad, however, still have the advantage in their head-to-head with Al-Nassr, the first tiebreaker if teams finish level on points.
At Al-Ta’ee Stadium in Ha’il, Ronaldo gave Al-Nassr the lead from the penalty spot just after halftime and Brazilian Talisca settled the game with another goal ten minutes from final whistle.
Ronaldo was also present, in spirit at least, at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh as Al-Hilal scored controversial goals at the end of each half to battle back and hold Al-Ittihad to a draw.
Al-Ittihad took the lead through Igor Coronado and Ahmed Bamsoud in the first half an hour but Musab Aljuwayr cut the deficit four minutes before the break.
The teenager’s cross appeared to have been kept in play by Al-Ittihad goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe and the game continued for more than a minute before VAR confirmed that the ball had in fact crossed the goal line.
It was a deja vu in stoppage time at the end of the match when Al-Hilal forward Michael’s shot appeared to have been cleared by defender Ahmed Hegazy only for VAR to again confirm that the goal-line had been breached.
The Brazilian then rubbed salt into the wound and enraged the Al-Ittihad players by performing Ronaldo’s trademark “Siiii!” goal celebration in front of the visiting fans.
The teenager’s cross appeared to have been kept in play by Al-Ittihad goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe and the game continued for more than a minute before VAR confirmed that the ball had in fact crossed the goal line.
It was a deja vu in stoppage time at the end of the match when Al-Hilal forward Michael’s shot appeared to have been cleared by defender Ahmed Hegazy only for VAR to again confirm that the goal-line had been breached.
The Brazilian then rubbed salt into the wound and enraged the Al-Ittihad players by performing Ronaldo’s trademark “Siiii!” goal celebration in front of the visiting fans.
-Reuters
Former Super Eagles’ coach, Jose Peseiro is on the line to coach Saudi Arabia Pro League first tier team, Al Riyadh.
Information from the oil rich country indicate that Peseiro who had previously coached the Saudi Arabia national team is one of the two being considered to replace Odair Hellmann at the Saudi club which placed 14th at the end of last season.
It is gathered that Peseiro has a competitor in Spanish cooach, Javier Pereira who is also lineup for the job.
Peseiro had previously managed Al Hilal in 2006 and later coached the Saudi national team during their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Al Nasr’s Cristiano Ronaldo capped his first full Saudi Pro League season in style as he broke the record for the most goals scored in one campaign on Monday.
The Portuguese 39-year-old scored a brace in his side’s 4-2 win over Al Ittihad on the final matchday to bring his league tally this season to 35 goals.
The previous record was held by former Al Nasr forward and Moroccan international Abderrazak Hamdallah, who scored 34 goals in 2018-19.
Ronaldo, who played for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, joined Al Nasr in January 2023.
-Reuters
Undefeated Al-Hilal won a record-extending 19th Saudi Pro League title on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Al-Hazem to reclaim the trophy from Al-Ittihad who won it last season.
Jorge Jesus’ side hold a 12-point advantage over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in second with three matches remaining.
Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Al-Hilal the lead from the penalty spot after 15 minutes but Faiz Selemani netted the equaliser for Al-Hazem in the 34th minute.
However, Jesus’s side took the lead again with an own goal from Ahmed Al-Juwaid in the 39th minute.
Mitrovic scored again in first-half stoppage time and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored three minutes later to make it 4-1.
Al-Hilal are chasing the treble having clinched the Saudi Super Cup title in April, and having reached the Saudi King’s Cup final where they will play Al-Nassr.
-Reuters
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