Cristiano Ronaldo named player of the match despite Al-Nassr's 2-1 loss to Al-Qadsiah
Cristiano Ronaldo was named player of the match despite Al-Nassr's 2-1 loss to Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League on Friday, November 22. The Portuguese ace scored his side's only goal in the game.
Al-Nassr took the lead in the 32nd minute when Ronaldo fired home a right-footed shot. However, Al-Qadsiah leveled the score five minutes later through Julian Quinones.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored again for Al-Qadsiah in the 55th minute to give his side the lead. Ronaldo and Co. fought hard for an equalizer, but the visitors defended resolutely and maintained their advantage. In the end, Al-Nassr suffered their first league loss of the season after 11 matches.
Despite not being on the winning side, Cristiano Ronaldo was named the player of the match. The 39-year-old attempted six shots, three of which were on target. He took 45 touches and maintained a pass accuracy of 93 percent.
Ronaldo had not scored in his last two league games before the Al-Qadsiah clash. He now has seven goals and two assists in 10 league games this season. Overall, he has recorded 11 goals and three assists in 16 games across competitions for the Riyadh-based outfit.
Can Cristiano Ronaldo lead Al-Nassr to the league title this season?
Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to win a major trophy with Al-Nassr since joining the club as a free agent in January 2023. However, he helped them win the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023.
In the 2022-23 season, Al-Nassr finished second, 10 points behind Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League standings. Last season, despite Ronaldo scoring 35 times in 31 league games, Al-Nassr still fell short in the league. They finished second behind Al-Hilal, this time by 14 points.
This season looks to be following the same trajectory; Al-Hilal are top of the table and are yet to lose a game. Meanwhile, Al-Nassr have lost once and trail their rivals by six points, having played a game more.
While it is still early days in the season, Al-Hilal's form makes them huge favorites to clinch a second consecutive league title. Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. have their work cut out if they are to claim the Saudi Pro League title.
