In the Saudi Pro League match that took place last Friday, Cristiano Ronaldo, displaying his incomparable abilities, scored two incredible goals with his non-dominant foot, leading Al Nassr to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Al-Ahli.
The 38-year-old football virtuoso continues to astound, having now amassed an astonishing 15 goals in a mere 14 appearances for Al Nassr this season. This remarkable feat cements his reputation as one of the league’s most prolific goal-scorers.
However, Ronaldo’s opening goal of Friday’s game stole the show thanks to its extreme audacity and subsequent controversy. During the fourth minute of play, Ronaldo fired a fierce shot that deftly sliced through a thick cloud of smoke surrounding the Al-Ahli penalty area.
The ball delicately made its way into the net behind a baffling veil of smoke that had been generated by a pre-game pyrotechnic display, creating an otherworldly ambiance that left fans, and perhaps even the confused Al-Ahli goalkeeper, perplexed.
تحويل الصمت إلى صخب 🔥
من غير رونالدو 🤩#نحلم_ونحقق | #yallaRSL pic.twitter.com/4hYXq3Cwwm— دوري روشن السعودي (@SPL) September 22, 2023
When Talisca, the energetic midfielder, added his own chapter to the story by scoring two more goals in the first half, the match’s captivating narrative took an exciting turn that raised the stakes.
Untouched by the prior controversy, Cristiano Ronaldo once again assumed the spotlight in the 52nd minute and forever changed the game with yet another magnificent goal.
Ronaldo’s amazing show of skill and the peculiar circumstances surrounding his first goal will definitely be regarded as a defining event in the Saudi Pro League’s history in a game distinguished by its complexity and unpredictability.
Al Nassr took the lead multiple times during the action-packed game, with scores of 2-0, 3-1, and 4-2. Franck Kessie, Riyad Mahrez, and Feras Albrikan all put in standout displays as Al-Ahli successfully reduced the deficit to just one goal on three different occasions.
Friday’s victory marked Al Nassr’s fifth consecutive league win, propelling Ronaldo and his teammates to the fifth position in the league standings, edging out Al-Ahli based on goal difference.
Both teams now find themselves trailing the league leaders, Al-Ittihad, by a mere three points. Al-Ittihad has garnered an impressive 18 points from their seven games, while Al-Hilal stands as the second-placed team with 17 points.
Notably, all four prominent Saudi Arabian clubs—Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al Nassr, and Al-Ahli—are under the ownership of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. During the summer transfer window, these clubs made substantial investments in acquiring new talents to strengthen their squads.
Some of these well-known summer acquisitions, including as Aymeric Laporte, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles, and Otavio, who played heavily for Al Nassr, were on display in the Friday game.
On the opposing side, Al-Ahli’s starting lineup was also studded with recent additions, featuring the talents of Mahrez, Kessie, Edouard Mendy, Allan Saint-Maximin, Gabri Veiga, and Merih Demiral. This influx of top-tier talent has set the stage for an electrifying season in Saudi Arabian football, promising fierce competition and thrilling encounters ahead.
