Ronaldo Proves He’s Still the Man as Al Nassr Secure Crucial Win
Cristiano Ronaldo may be closing in on his 40th birthday, but he’s still scoring for fun. The Portuguese superstar broke the Saudi Pro League single-season scoring record last season with 35 goals from just 31 appearances, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Ronaldo’s closest challenger? Aleksandar Mitrović with 28 goals. And it’s not like he’s dominating in a weak league. Karim Benzema and Roberto Firmino, both respected strikers, managed just nine goals each from 21 and 32 appearances respectively.
But, even as he approaches the milestone of 900 goals in official matches, Ronaldo is still making it look easy. He recently became the first male footballer to hit this incredible mark, and he’s started the 2024-25 season in his trademark free-scoring form.
Against Al Rayyan in the AFC Champions League Elite, Ronaldo initially spurned a couple of golden opportunities, including a towering free header that he would normally dispatch into the back of the net with his eyes closed. But he wouldn’t be denied for long.
With 14 minutes remaining, substitute Abdulrahman Ghareeb did brilliantly to get past a couple of challenges on the edge of the box with his dancing feet. Ronaldo, without taking a first touch, would then proceed to lash a first-time effort on his left foot past the goalkeeper’s despairing dive and into the far corner.
It was a crucial goal, as Al Rayyan pulled one back with three minutes remaining. But Al Nassr were able to hold out for a 2-1 win and their first three points in the ACL Elite after an opening draw with Al Shorta.
For the 7th time in eight games so far this term, Ronaldo was on the scoresheet and the difference maker – as is the case more often than not. Even on an evening which initially looked like it might be one to forget.
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