Ronaldo's scoring streak is broken

Saudi Arabia Striker Cristiano Ronaldo assisted a goal to help Al Nassr beat hosts Al Feiha 3-1 in round 11 of the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo arrived at the King Salman Stadium on a four-game scoring streak for Portugal and Al Nassr, but this time he had no chance to turn. He had six shots in the game but did not give the home goalkeeper any work, with two shots going wide and four hitting defenders. The 38-year-old also dribbled twice but failed to get past his opponent, earning him a Sofascore rating of 6.8, the lowest for Al Nassr.

Ronaldo (left) in the match against Al Feiha. Photo: ANFC — Ronaldo (left) in the match against Al Feiha. Photo: *ANFC*

Although he did not score, Ronaldo still left his mark with a pass to striker Anderson Talisca to shoot from a distance into the bottom corner to open the scoring in the 50th minute. This was Ronaldo's sixth pass into a goal this season, helping him climb to the top of the assist list with Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli) and Mourad Batna (Al Fateh). That means Ronaldo is also leading both the scoring list (11 goals) and assists in the tournament.

Al Feiha are currently ranked eighth in the Saudi League, and 606th in the world according to the Opta power index, behind Southeast Asian club Johor Darul Tazim (Malaysia). However, in both meetings with Al Feiha this year, Ronaldo did not score. In the previous match, he even scolded his opponent and did not shake the coach's hand after Al Nassr was held to a 0-0 draw by Al Feiha. But this time Al Nassr won 3-1, so Ronaldo appeared happy after the match ended, and applauded the home crowd.

Ronaldo and his teammates ran to celebrate the goal with Talisca (left). Photo: ANFC — Ronaldo and his teammates ran to celebrate the goal with Talisca (left). Photo: *ANFC*

Al Nassr are currently second in the Saudi League, and 82nd in the world. Therefore, they still have enough stars to make a difference when Ronaldo does not score. Compared to the draw with Al Feiha mentioned above, Al Nassr has added famous players such as Sadio Mane, Otavio, Seko Fofana and Alex Telles. The superior attack in terms of reputation helped the visitors win their sixth consecutive away match, thanks to a double from Talisca and the remaining goal from Otavio.

Al Nassr have won eight and drawn one of their last nine Saudi League games, to close the gap on leaders Al Hilal to four points. They face three teams in the bottom half of the table in the next few rounds, before facing Al Hilal in Round 15 on 1 December.

Xuan Binh

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