Saudi Arabian striker Cristiano Ronaldo provided an assist to help Al Nassr win 3-1 against hosts Al Feiha in Round 11 of the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo arrived at the King Salman Stadium with a run of four goals for both Portugal and Al Nassr, but this time he didn't have a chance to score. He took six shots in the match but failed to trouble the home goalkeeper, with two going wide and four hitting defenders. The 38-year-old striker also attempted two dribbles but failed to beat any defenders, resulting in a Sofascore rating of only 6.8, the lowest for Al Nassr.
Ronaldo (left) during the match against Al Feiha. Photo: ANFC
Although he didn't score, Ronaldo still made his mark with a pass that allowed striker Anderson Talisca to fire a long-range shot into the bottom corner to open the scoring in the 50th minute. This was Ronaldo's sixth assist of the season, helping him climb to the top of the assist list alongside Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli) and Mourad Batna (Al Fateh). This means Ronaldo is also leading both the goalscoring (11 goals) and assist lists in the league.
Al Feiha is currently ranked eighth in the Saudi League and 606th in the world according to Opta Power Index, behind even Southeast Asian club Johor Darul Tazim (Malaysia). However, in both matches against Al Feiha this year, Ronaldo failed to score. In the first match, he even berated his opponents and refused to shake hands with the coach after Al Nassr drew 0-0 with Al Feiha. But this time, Al Nassr won 3-1, so Ronaldo appeared happy after the match and applauded the home crowd.
Ronaldo and his teammates run to celebrate the goal with Talisca (left). Photo: ANFC
Al Nassr are currently second in the Saudi League and ranked 82nd in the world. Therefore, they still have enough stars to make a difference even without Ronaldo scoring. Compared to the aforementioned draw against Al Feiha, Al Nassr have added renowned players such as Sadio Mane, Otavio, Seko Fofana, and Alex Telles. Their superior attacking line-up helped the visitors secure their sixth consecutive away win, thanks to a brace from Talisca and the other goal from Otavio.
Al Nassr have won eight and drawn one of their last nine Saudi League matches, closing the gap with league leaders Al Hilal to four points. In the following rounds, they face three teams in the bottom half of the table before confronting Al Hilal in Round 15 on December 1st.
Xuan Binh
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