Al Nassr are looking to regain ground in the Saudi Pro League standings after a poor run that left them behind Al Hilal. On Friday against Al Kholood, Cristiano Ronaldo scored for his team following a setup from Joao Felix.
After a historic start to the season with 10 consecutive wins, Al Nassr struggled to maintain that momentum, allowing Al Hilal to overtake them at the top of the table and build a lead of up to seven points. However, in recent weeks, Jorge Jesus’ team has secured three straight victories, putting them back in contention.
In that context, Friday’s clash against Al Kholood was crucial for Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates. Taking advantage of two consecutive draws by Al Hilal, they could move within just three points of the top with a win.
Despite facing one of the weakest teams in the Saudi Pro League—Al Kholood sit 14th with only five wins in 18 matches—Al Nassr had a tough task. In fact, during the first half, they couldn’t break through and went into the break goalless.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 961st career goal
Al Nassr’s struggles to find an advantage against Al Kholood disappeared after the break. Just two minutes into the second half, they built a brilliant team move involving Kingsley Coman, Angelo Gabriel, Joao Felix, and Sadio Mane.
Finally, after receiving a perfect pass from Angelo, Felix found himself inside the box, one-on-one with goalkeeper Juan Pablo Cozzani. The young Portuguese forward chose not to shoot and instead set up Cristiano Ronaldo, who was positioned just outside the box.
CR7 had all the time and space he needed to open the scoring with a gentle right-footed touch that left the defenders trying to cover the goal with no chance to react. With this strike, Al Nassr’s forward reached his 17th goal of the current Saudi Pro League season and the 961st of his professional career.
What’s next for Al Nassr?
After extending their lead with goals from Mohamed Simakan and Kingsley Coman, Al Nassr secured a valuable 3-0 victory over Al Kholood, bringing them very close to reclaiming the top spot in the Saudi Pro League standings. They are now just three points behind Al Hilal, with 16 games still remaining.
Jorge Jesus’ team will next face Al Riyadh on Monday, February 2, followed by a crucial matchup against the reigning champions, Al Ittihad, four days later. After that, they will begin their campaign in the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League Two against FK Arkadag.
