Cristiano Ronaldo once again proved why he remains football’s ultimate clutch performer, dragging Al-Nassr from the brink of frustration to a hard-fought 2-1 win over Al-Feiha on Saturday night. After being knocked out by Al-Ettihad from the King's Cup, their weekend could have been spoiled, but their Portuguese talisman decided otherwise. They are now leading the domestic standings after getting off to a perfect start with seven wins from seven matches, and on Saturday evening, the men in yellow once again showed why they are more determined than ever to be crowned as Saudi champions during their comeback victory.
Nassr's comeback
The hosts were dominating proceedings right from the first whistle, and Joao Felix came close to opening the scoring in the sixth minute but saw his effort tipped over the crossbar. However, almost against the run of play, Al-Feiha drew first blood after Jason was put through on goal. The goal came from a tactical misfire. Jorge Jesus’ high defensive line, designed to suffocate space, backfired horribly. Jason latched onto a simple long ball, broke free of the sluggish backline, and slotted calmly past Nawaf Alaqidi. It was a sucker punch that left the hosts stunned and briefly scrambling for rhythm.
Despite going behind, Al-Nassr refused to panic. With Ronaldo barking instructions and Sadio Mane buzzing around the left flank, the home side resumed their onslaught. The equaliser appeared imminent when Mane squared for Kingsley Coman, who smashed the ball home, only for VAR to intervene. After a painstaking review, the goal was chalked off. Mane had strayed offside by a matter of inches when Ronaldo released him down the wing. The decision left Ronaldo visibly fuming, throwing his arms in the air in disbelief.
A frustrated Ronaldo rallied his teammates again, and in the 37th minute, the Portuguese icon produced the goods to bring his side back on level terms. It was a perfect team goal, which was started off by Felix as he played a cheeky through ball to Coman. The French star split Al-Feiha's defence, and Ronaldo kept his calm to finish the move with a clinical finish.
As the second half unfolded, Ronaldo led the charge for a breakthrough. He saw two efforts fly agonisingly wide, while Felix’s long-range strike was parried brilliantly by Mosquera. With every passing minute, it felt as though time was slipping away. Al-Feiha’s players began to sense they could escape with a draw, until fate intervened deep in stoppage time. Fortune smiled on the hosts, and after a lengthy VAR check, a penalty was awarded to Al-Nassr.
Up stepped Ronaldo, calm and collected. As the whistle blew, he took his familiar stance, stuttered in his run-up, and smashed the ball into the net. He wheeled away in celebration, pounding his chest as the crowd erupted. Three more points!
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Ronaldo popped up at the right time, at the right place, to once again save Al-Nassr's blushes. His numbers this season have been mind-boggling. The winner was his eighth league goal and number 36 in the calendar year. He is currently 48 goals away from the 1000-milestone, and the forward will back him to create more history after signing a two-year deal in the summer, which will keep him at the club until 2027.
The big loser
While his side walked away with all three points, Jesus’s tactics left much to be desired. His defensive strategy gifted Al-Feiha their goal, and his inability to chalk up a Plan B could have cost them a perfect start to the season. If not for Ronaldo’s late intervention, this could easily have been the night Al-Nassr’s flawless run ended.
Getty Images SportMatch rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐
