Cristiano Ronaldo Leads Al Nassr to Another Comeback Victory

Cristiano Ronaldo delivered again on Friday night, striking the winner as Al Nassr came from behind to beat Al Taawoun 2-1 and preserve their perfect start to the Saudi Pro League season.

Four games, four wins, and the 41-year-old remains at the heart of it all.

Al Nassr hit back again

Ange Postecoglou’s team arrived still buzzing from their wild 3-2 victory over Al Ettifaq on Tuesday, when they overturned a 2-0 deficit despite playing with 10 men after goalkeeper Bento was sent off. On that occasion, the former Tottenham boss made the bold call to withdraw Ronaldo, only to see his side score three times in the final 16 minutes.

This time, Ronaldo stayed on the pitch from first whistle to last. The pattern, though, was familiar: Al Nassr fell behind again.

Al Taawoun struck first in the 11th minute, Mohammed Bassam Al Hurayji punishing hesitant defending to give the visitors the lead and briefly silence the home crowd.

Al Nassr pushed, probed, and grew increasingly agitated as the half wore on. The breakthrough finally arrived deep into stoppage time at the end of the first period, when Samú Costa pounced to level in the fifth added minute, dragging Postecoglou’s side back into the contest just before the interval.

Ronaldo’s touch decides it

The equaliser changed the mood. The restart changed the tempo.

Five minutes into the second half, Al Nassr sliced through down the left. João Félix drove into the Al Taawoun area, timing his run and touch perfectly before cutting the ball back towards the edge of the box. It rolled into the path of Mohamed Simakan, who strode onto it and aimed for the bottom corner.

His shot was on target. Ronaldo made sure it stayed that way.

Ghosting into space six yards out, the Portugal captain flicked the effort past the goalkeeper, diverting it into the net in the 50th minute for what is recorded as the 978th goal of his career.

As Ronaldo peeled away in celebration, Simakan stood momentarily stunned, replays confirming his original strike was arrowing towards the corner before the decisive touch. The scoreboard, though, told the only story that mattered to Al Nassr: 2-1, and another comeback complete.

Al Taawoun tried to respond but never found a way back. Al Nassr saw out the contest with a control that has not always been evident in this frantic opening stretch of the season, closing the game down and locking in a fourth win from four to stay top of the table.

Ronaldo, still leading the line at 41, walked off with the decisive goal again. The question now is how long anyone in Saudi Arabia can keep pace with him and this relentless Al Nassr side.