Spl: Ronaldo limps off after penalty miss as Al-Nassr rally to beat Al-Fayha 3-1
The matchnight spl moment came early and late: Cristiano Ronaldo missed an 11th-minute penalty and was withdrawn with a muscular complaint after the 70-minute mark, but Al-Nassr still recovered to beat Al-Fayha 3-1 on Saturday and reclaim top spot in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo began the game by stepping up to a controversial spot kick awarded after Mohamed Simakan went down under minimal contact; his stuttering run-up and low effort shaved the outside of the post and missed the target. The visitors fell behind just before the break when an Abdulelah Al-Amri own goal put Al-Fayha ahead, leaving Al-Nassr probing for a route back into the match.
Jorge Jesus described the substitution as precautionary, saying, "He felt muscular fatigue. After we made it 2-1, I didn't want to risk it and I replaced him. The medical department will assess his condition, but what he felt was just muscle fatigue. " The coach added that substitutes changed the game in the second half as Al-Nassr exploited a tiring Al-Fayha side.
Al-Nassr’s comeback began in the 72nd minute when Sadio Mane scored to level the game. Accounts differ on the source of the second equaliser: one account says Joao Felix’s effort ricocheted in off the goalkeeper to complete the turnaround, while another credits an own goal by Mosquera. A late strike from Abdullah Al-Hamdan sealed the win and lifted Al-Nassr back to the top of the table.
Spl under scrutiny after penalty miss and injury
The penalty miss — Ronaldo's 35th career spot-kick failure — arrived in the 11th minute and was his second missed penalty of the season after a previous miss in a 5-1 win over Al Fateh in October. The Portuguese forward is chasing the milestone of 1, 000 career goals; the opportunity to add to that tally slipped away early in the match.
How the match turned: key moments and goal sequence
Al-Fayha took the lead the Abdulelah Al-Amri own goal just before half-time, leaving Al-Nassr's attack stifled for much of the first half. In the second half the visitors wore down their hosts: Sadio Mane scored in the 72nd minute, a subsequent goal was variously described as Joao Felix's attempt ricocheting in off the goalkeeper or as a Mosquera own goal, and Abdullah Al-Hamdan finished the scoring late on to make it 3-1.
Jesus explains the change and the bench impact
Jesus said he had expected Al-Fayha to flag physically and praised the contribution of substitutes, adding, "I knew that Al-Fayha would enter the second half with less physical capacity and would not be able to keep up with us. That’s what we exploited in the best way. " He framed the decision to remove Ronaldo as workload management during a high-intensity part of the season and stressed the medical department will carry out further checks.
Standings, context and a stray item in the brief
The victory put Al-Nassr top of the Saudi Pro League: one account notes they leapfrogged Al-Ahli to reclaim first place, while another record lists them on 61 points and two clear of second place. Ronaldo's fitness will be watched ahead of upcoming fixtures. A brief item titled "Verifying Device" appears in the provided context with no accompanying text and is unclear in the provided context.
The immediate next step is the medical assessment Jesus mentioned; the medical department will evaluate Ronaldo's muscular discomfort before the team’s upcoming fixtures.
