Sports

Saudi Pro League: Ronaldo Helps Al-Nassr Win Over Al-Shabab With A Last Minute Penalty | WATCH

Cristiano Ronaldo once again proved to be the key player for Al-Nassr. On Friday, the Portuguese star stepped up under pressure and converted a last-minute penalty, securing a crucial lead for his team. Although Al-Shabab had a chance to equalize shortly afterward, they missed their own penalty, sealing Al-Nassr’s victory.

This win keeps Al-Nassr within reach of the Saudi Pro League leaders, Al-Hilal. Facing a formidable opponent in Al-Shabab, who were just two points behind them, Al-Nassr needed this result to stay in contention for the title, and Ronaldo ensured they did just that.

Al-Nassr takes early lead

The first half was tightly contested, with few clear chances for either side. It wasn’t until 24 minutes into the second half that Aymeric Laporte put Al-Nassr ahead, scoring with a precise left-footed shot following a corner and a chaotic sequence of rebounds inside the box.

However, Al-Nassr’s lead didn’t last long. In the 90th minute, substitute Ali Al-Hassan inadvertently scored an own goal while trying to block a driven cross from Nawaf Al-Sadi, allowing Al-Shabab to level the score.

Ronaldo converts the spot-kick

Despite the late equalizer, Al-Nassr remained determined and continued to push for a winner. Their efforts paid off when Abdulrahman Ghareeb was fouled inside the box during stoppage time, leading to a penalty. Ronaldo, as expected, took the responsibility and calmly converted the spot-kick.

With over 97 minutes on the clock, the game still had more drama to unfold. Al-Shabab launched one final attack, earning a penalty after a VAR review.

Ronaldo gives Al-Nassr a hard fought win

However, unlike Ronaldo, Al-Shabab’s Abderrazak Hamdallah failed to convert, hitting the post. This allowed Al-Nassr to secure a hard-fought victory and celebrate their win.

At the top of the Saudi Pro League, Al-Hilal leads with 21 points after seven straight wins. Despite Neymar Jr.’s absence, they managed a convincing 3-0 win against Al Feiha. Al-Nassr, now in second place with 17 points, are being closely pursued by Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad, who sit at 15 points and have a game in hand against Al Qadisiya.

Read More: Tony Bennett: Virginia Coach Retires; ‘I’m No Longer The Best Coach To Lead”

Zubair Amin

Zubair Amin is a Senior Content Producer at NewsX. He produces multimedia content about world affairs, international relations and India's foreign relations. He tweets at @zubaiyramin

Recent Posts

Real-Time Air Pollution: What Is Delhi’s AQI After Light Rain As Temperature Drops To 9 Degrees Celsius

Parts of Delhi-NCR experienced light rainfall on Monday morning, but the Air Quality Index (AQI)…

24 mins ago

Bharat Progress Report 2024: D. Gukesh Becomes Youngest-Ever World Chess Champion

India's Gukesh Dommaraju has made history by becoming the youngest World Chess Champion at 18,…

59 mins ago

Delhi-NCR Weather Alert: Heavy Rain And Chilly Cold Expected This Week

Delhi NCR is in for heavy rain and bone-chilling cold this week, with a yellow…

1 hour ago

Who Is Gabriel Enrique Angarita Carrasquero? Texas Border Riot Mastermind Arrested After Seven-Month Manhunt

Gabriel Enrique Angarita Carrasquero, one of Venezuela's migrants, was finally captured after an almost seven-month…

2 hours ago

Why Trump Wants To Rename Denali To Mount McKinley In Alaska?

President-elect Donald Trump intends to rename Denali, Alaska's tallest mountain, to Mount McKinley. He hailed…

2 hours ago

TikTok’s Fate In The US: Trump Indicates Potential Reprieve

Donald Trump dropped a hint for TikTok's survival by mentioning how it played an important…

3 hours ago