Cristiano Ronaldo brace sends Al-nassr Vs Al-hazem to 4-0 as Al Nassr go top
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al Nassr swept past Al Hazem 4-0 on Saturday (21st) in a result that mattered for the title race in the Saudi Pro League; the match billed as al-nassr vs al-hazem moved Jorge Jesus’ side to the top of the table.
Al-nassr Vs Al-hazem: Ronaldo’s brace and match timeline
Ronaldo, 41, opened the scoring after 13 minutes when Kingsley Coman found him in a crowded penalty area; Ronaldo took a touch with his right before clipping a left-footed finish into the far corner, a goal given after a VAR check for offside and recorded as his 500th since turning 30. Coman then converted the second on the half-hour after João Félix set him up following a swift passing move, and Ângelo made it 3-0 in the 77th minute with a fine individual run from inside his own half.
Early strike and VAR checks
The first goal at 13 minutes came after Coman supplied Ronaldo and required a VAR review for offside; another Ronaldo effort was ruled out for offside just before the break, and he was denied by a separate offside flag later before finally adding his second with 10 minutes to go.
Coman and João Félix combine for the second
Coman’s 30th-minute finish arrived after João Félix set up the move from a quick sequence, and Coman also provided the short pass Ronaldo needed for his second in the left side of the penalty area, when Ronaldo drilled an angled drive that survived a subsequent VAR review.
Angelo’s solo run and late finish
With the score 2-0, Brazilian Ângelo increased the margin in the 77th minute with an individual run that began inside his own half and finished with a composed strike to make it 3-0 before Ronaldo’s angled drive late on completed the 4-0 scoreline.
Standings, milestones and wider fallout
The win was Al Nassr’s eighth straight league victory and moved them a point above rivals Al Hilal after Al Hilal were held to a 1-1 draw at home by 10-man Al Ittihad. OneFootball’s coverage put Al-Nassr on 55 points and said Simone Inzaghi’s team reached 54; it also noted Sérgio Conceição’s men got to 38 and are in sixth. OneFootball added that Al-Hazem remain on 24 points in 12th place.
Transfer complaint, missed games and the next fixtures
The match came after a turbulent spell for Ronaldo: he had missed two league matches and an AFC Cup game earlier this month after reportedly going on strike in protest at his club’s lack of January transfer business, and another headline in the build-up said Ronaldo’s transfer complaint was backed by manager Jesus. Ronaldo had celebrated his birthday on the 5th of this month and turned 41.
Al Nassr will next visit Al-Fayha on Saturday (28th) at Al Majma'ah Sports City, while Al-Hazem are scheduled to host Al-Ettifaq on Friday (27th) at Ar-Rass Stadium.
