Cristiano Ronaldo found the back of the net as former AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli earned his first victory as manager of Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr with a comfortable 3-0 win over Al Ettifaq on Friday night.
The game started with Al Nassr on the front foot, carving out chances at regular intervals. The home side’s pressure paid dividends when Al-Ghanam made a darting run into the opposition box and was brought down by a clumsy challenge inside the box by Abdullah Madu.
Ronaldo, who sat out Al-Nassr’s 1-1 draw against Iraq’s Al-Shorta in the AFC Champions League Elite due to a viral infection, stepped up to take the resultant penalty and calmly slotted the ball in the back of the net with a shot down the middle to get Pioli’s era underway.
After the goal, Ronaldo decided to shift from his regular ‘SIUU’ celebration and held up three of his fingers towards his son, Cristiano Jr., who was sitting in the stands. The latest goal celebration was a touching tribute to his son, Cristiano Jr., who had scored twice earlier for Al-Nassr’s youth team.
Until the last moment. Keep believing! pic.twitter.com/Wiw0Av3eLo
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) September 13, 2024
Salem Al-Najdi and Anderson Talisca put Al-Nassr 3-0 ahead to put the game beyond the reach of Al Ettifaq. Al-Nassr currently sits in fourth place in the Saudi Pro League, having registered two wins and two draws from their first four matches of the season. However, both Al-Taawoun and Al-Shabab have games in hand and could overtake them with victories.
On the other hand, the loss marked Ettifaq’s first defeat of the season, but Steven Gerrard’s side remained in third place.
Pioli, who stepped down as Milan’s head coach at the end of the 2023-24 season, was officially appointed by Al-Nassr ON a two-year contract reportedly worth €12 million per season.
Toney Nets First Goals for Al-Ahli After Brentford Switch
Ivan Toney opened his account for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League with a brace in their 4-2 victory over Damac. After completing a £40 million move from Brentford to the Saudi Pro League this summer, Toney had a debut to forget last week but rediscovered his scoring touch on Friday night. His two close-range finishes secured Al-Ahli’s second league win of the season, moving them up to fifth in the standings.
Ex-Liverpool star Roberto Firmino added to the scoreline with a stoppage-time goal to give Al-Ahli a 4-2 win.
Read More: Breakdown of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Goals as He Becomes First Player to Score 900 Goals
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
