Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese superstar, continued to disappoint in Al Nassr’s 2-3 loss to Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League. Despite numerous scoring opportunities, “CR7” failed to convert, contributing to the team’s unfortunate defeat.
Al Nassr, after a five-game winning streak, suffered a heavy loss against Al Ettifaq. The match, played at Al Nassr’s home stadium, held much promise for the home team, but ultimately, Al Ettifaq emerged victorious.
Throughout the 90 minutes, Ronaldo touched the ball 42 times, creating 6 scoring opportunities, but failed to score. In the 23rd minute, his shot hit the post in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. A 20-meter free-kick opportunity in the 26th minute was also thwarted by goalkeeper Marek Rodak. In the 31st minute, Ronaldo’s angled shot was denied by the Al Ettifaq goalkeeper.
The final minutes of the first half and the beginning of the second half saw further scoring chances for Ronaldo, yet he couldn’t overcome the solid defense and goalkeeper of Al Ettifaq. In the 64th and 73rd minutes, Ronaldo’s close-range shots were blocked by goalkeeper Marek Rodak.
A turning point of the match came from an own goal by an Al Ettifaq player at the beginning of the second half, putting Al Nassr ahead. Although Al Nassr made subsequent efforts to score, they were unsuccessful. In the final stages, Al Ettifaq leveled the score and secured a 3-2 victory. Al Ettifaq’s Wijnaldum sealed the win with a brace in the final minutes.
This defeat dropped Al Nassr to fourth place in the Saudi Pro League standings, trailing the league leaders Al Ittihad by 8 points. It was also Ronaldo’s second consecutive match without a goal in the league.
Despite the loss, Ronaldo maintained an impressive performance this season. He has scored 24 goals in 28 matches across all competitions, 6 goals in the AFC Champions League, and leads the Saudi Pro League top scorer list with 16 goals, one more than Karim Benzema.
Key Statistical Highlights:
- Ronaldo Touches: 42
- Scoring Opportunities: 6
- Goals Scored: 0
Impact of the Match:
- Al Nassr’s five-game winning streak ended.
- Ronaldo continued to struggle with scoring.
Conclusion:
Although exceptional, Ronaldo couldn’t save Al Nassr from defeat in this match. His high performance this season remains a highlight, but scoring in crucial matches continues to be a task he needs to accomplish more effectively.
References:
–https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/ronaldo-gay-that-vong-trong-ngay-al-nassr-bai-tran-tren-san-nha-20250222095913414.htm
Ronaldo's disappointing performance in Al Nassr's home loss
