Ronaldo leads Al Nassr to the Arab Champions Cup final.

Saudi Arabian superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, 38, scored a penalty as Al Nassr beat Al Shorta 1-0 in the Arab Club Champions Cup semi-final.

Goal: Ronaldo (penalty) 75

In the 73rd minute, Sadio Mane broke into the penalty area and fell after a challenge from defender Faisal Jasim. The ball landed near Ronaldo, but instead of challenging for it, he ran towards the referee to pressure him into awarding a penalty. A short time later, when Al Shorta received the ball, the referee stopped play to review the situation on the touchline after VAR intervention. The referee then awarded a penalty to Al Nassr, and Ronaldo didn't miss, shooting into the right corner to open the scoring.

Ronaldo (number 7) celebrates the only goal that helped Al Nassr defeat Al Shorta in the semi-finals of the Arab Club Champions Cup in Abha, Saudi Arabia on August 9, 2023. Photo: Al Nassr

Ronaldo ran to the corner of the pitch, jumping and spinning to celebrate the goal, then nudged Mane with his chest. The stands erupted with "siuuu" sounds as Ronaldo jumped high, and then spectators opened their phones and turned on their flashlights to shine down on the pitch, creating a bokeh effect.

Mane outshone Ronaldo in this match, creating breakthroughs with his dribbling against the Iraqi club's multi-layered defense. In the 86th minute, Mane fell in the penalty area again, prompting VAR intervention, but this time the referee did not award a penalty. Two minutes later, Mane delivered a perfect cross for Ronaldo to head home unmarked from 5 meters, but goalkeeper Ahmed Basil Fadhil made a spectacular save. Al Shorta counter-attacked immediately afterward, sending midfielder Ahmed Farhan through on goal, but his chipped shot was saved by goalkeeper Nawaf Alaqidi.

Key events of the match.

Al Shorta are the reigning Iraqi champions, with an Opta Power rating of 74.6, compared to Al Nassr's 77.7. Al Shorta's squad includes many Iraqi national team players – the team that will face Vietnam in the group stage of the 2024 Asian Cup and the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This club plays well until they concede a goal, preventing stars like Ronaldo, Mane, or Marcelo Brozovic from dominating.

Ronaldo celebrated a goal in the 31st minute, also from a clever move by Mane. However, VAR then determined that the 38-year-old superstar was offside, albeit by only a few centimeters. Later, Ronaldo nearly assisted Alex Telles, but the defender's shot hit the crossbar and bounced out.

After the final whistle, the Al Nassr players ran to embrace each other in celebration, especially congratulating goalkeeper Alaqidi on his crucial last-minute save. In the stands, a fan lit a flare to celebrate Al Nassr reaching the final. Their opponent will be either Al Hilal or Al Shabab on August 12th.

Ronaldo attempting a dribble in the win against Al Shorta. Photo: AlNassr

Ronaldo has scored in four consecutive matches, climbing to the top of the Golden Boot race, ahead of Karim Benzema. He also has a chance to break his more than two-year title drought, as Al Nassr only needs one more win.

The Arab Club Champions Cup is an annual tournament for Arab clubs in the Middle East and North Africa. Al Nassr is participating this year at the invitation of the Arab Football Association, without having to play in the qualifying rounds. The tournament takes place from July 27 to August 12 in Saudi Arabia, with 16 teams divided into four groups of four teams each, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

Hoang An

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