After two defeats in the first rounds of the Saudi championship, Al Nassr defeated Al Fateh 5-0. With three goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and two from Sadio Mané, the team led by Luís Castro finally took the three points in the tournament.
The away win lifted Al Nassr to 10th place in Saudi, but are still a long way from leaders Al Ittihad, Al Ahli and Al Hilal, who were also group winners. Al Fateh, on the other hand, finished in eighth place in the standings, with four points more.
The match marked the debut of two Al Nassr reinforcements: midfielder Otávio and defender Eymeric Laporte who have left Porto and Manchester City respectively. Brazilians Alex Telles and Anderson Talisca were absent due to injury.
This is what we’ve been waiting for 🤩🤝 pic.twitter.com/CLZrPvilGU
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) August 25, 2023
The visitors opened the scoring in the 26th minute of the match, when Cristiano Ronaldo heeled Mané in front of goal and scored. Ten minutes later, the Portuguese striker received a cross and sent it wide.
Returning from half-time, Al Nassr scored the third goal with Cristiano Ronaldo, in the 9th minute. Brozovic makes a beautiful throw for Ghareeb, who touches wide and the number 7 closes with an empty net. In the 35th minute, Mané turned victory into defeat by scoring with a header. Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo appeared free at the far post and pushed into the net.
Al Fateh did not threaten the visitors, even with some well-known players in the squad such as Petros, ex Corinthians, Cristian Tello, ex Barcelona, Jason Denayer, ex Lyon, Lucas Zelarayán, ex Columbus Crew, and led by Slaven Bilić, ex West Ham.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
