Ronaldo shines as Al-Nassr closes in on the top spot

Having skipped the previous two league games due to his disagreement with the club's board regarding transfers, Cristiano Ronaldo returned strongly in the clash between Al-Nassr and Al-Fateh.

Just 34 seconds into the game, Ronaldo took his first shot but the ball went wide of the goal. Al-Nassr started aggressively, continuously pressuring the home team. Kingsley Coman also had a close-range chance but failed to convert it.

In the 18th minute, the turning point came. From a low cross from the left wing by Sadio Mane, who stood out during Ronaldo's absence, CR7 made a precise one-touch finish, beating goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco to open the scoring 1-0.

After conceding, Al-Fateh pushed forward. Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem, Mourad Batna, and Jorge Fernandes each tested goalkeeper Bento, but Al-Nassr’s defense held firm. The visitors even netted another goal from Mohamed Simakan’s shot following a corner, but VAR intervened, ruling the previous play offside.

In the second half, Al-Nassr maintained control of the match. In the 78th minute, Alman Yahya sealed the 2-0 victory with a neat move inside the box followed by a powerful shot that left Pacheco with no chance.

Statistically, Al-Nassr had 14 shots compared to Al-Fateh’s 10 and exceeded their expected goals (xG) of 1.3. Notably, this was their fifth consecutive clean sheet in the Saudi Pro League, their best defensive run in over a decade.

For Ronaldo personally, this goal marked his 18th of the season, increasing his career total to 962 goals. The 41-year-old superstar is now just 38 goals away from the historic 1,000-goal milestone, a feat he continues to pursue with determination.