Saudi Pro League Highlights: Late goal by Cristiano Ronaldo gives Al Nassr draw against Al Fateh
Follow for all LIVE updates from the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al Fateh.
Updated : Feb 03, 2023 22:32 IST
Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the game. | Photo Credit: Ahmed Yosri/REUTERS
Follow for all LIVE updates from the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al Fateh.
Referee takes a look at a foul by Talisca. He refers to the VAR screen and gives the Brazilian a red card. End-to-end action in the closing minutes, but there is no winner for either side.
Al Nassr puts all its men in the box for a freekick and it WINS A PENALTYYY!! Who else but Ronaldo and he buries it to the goalkeeper’s left. IT IS 2-2
A proper goalmouth scramble. Al Nassr thought it has scored when Talisca got his left foot onto a cross from the left, only for Rinne to palm it away on the line. Still, Fateh holds on, somehow.
Fateh gets a decent spell of possession. They head to the right corner flag and succeed in putting a cross in. AL-Khulaif is there to nudge it goal-bound. But Rossi is there to make the save this time.
A short break in play as Al Zubaidi gets treatment following a collision. Two more changes for Al Fateh as it looks to hold on to this narrow lead.
A high ball lands in the Fateh box and Talisca attempts a bicycle kick. He couldn’t generate the necessary power to trouble the goalkeeper. Fateh midfield has dropped back, leaving a lot of space of their counterparts to push through.
Gustavo tries to break through, but he is tackled down immediately. Al Fateh defence has turned it on in the second half.
Ronaldo is starting to cut a frustrating figure in the middle, with him getting close to very little supply to have a go at goal. To their credit, Al Fateh’s defence has marked the Portuguese pretty sharply.
Al Nassr pushes on in desperation for a goal. But it is Al Fateh who comes away with the ball as it rushes forward in a counter attack. The away side survives, for now.
Despite all its good work, Al Nassr trails in this game, again. Al Fateh makes a couple of substitutions to keep things ticking. Bendebka gets a yellow card for a cynical foul.
Al Fateh is back in it and it does it in style. A cross the from the right flank and Bendebka takes it first time and volleys it in thumping fashion past Rossi . MAJESTIC.
Al Nassr continues its onslaught as it stops Al Fateh from settling down into any sort of rhythm. The away side is pressing higher up the field in the second half.
Al Nassr on the attack straight away. It targets the opponents right flank, driving in with ease. Ghareeb wins a corner and plays it short and almost finds the the top corner with his shot.
Second half begins as both sides look set to fight it out for three points.
That goal could not have come at a better time for Al Nassr, with the half-time break just around the corner. Ronaldo and co continues on with the intensity. Ghareeb finds Ronaldo and his left-footed shot comes thumping off the crossbar. SO CLOSE!! And it is half-time with scores level at 1-1.
Ronaldo tries to dance his way past a couple of defenders down the left, but failed to emerge with the ball. Al Nassr is pushing more and more men forward and it is rewarded with the equaliser. It is Talisca who is there to bury a cross from the left. It is 1-1.
Al Nassr is sharp down the left and Talisca manufactures space to shoot. His shot is tipped to the upright by a flying Rinne. Closest Al Nassr has come to scoring this game.
Al Fateh is threatening for one more and it is finding opportunities to do so from set-pieces. Tello is at the heart of everything creative for the home side.
Al Nassr left-back Konan finds himself in space down the left and tries to bend a cross in. But it is too deep and Rinne makes a comfortable claim.
Al Fateh wins a freekick of its own. Tello fires it and its mighty close. Al Nassr clearly in the backfoot here.
Ronaldo is pushed down at the edge of the box, but the referee doesn’t see a foul there. Al Nassr wins a freekick later on and Ronaldo tries to power it in, but it comes off the wall.
That goal came against the run of the play. But Tello’s imagination deserved a goal. Al Nassr looks to strike straight back as it rushes onto attacks. But there is no coordination in its forays updfield.
A cross is headed away by the Al Nassr defence and Christian Tello is there. He connects that perfectly and it flies straight into the bottom corner. Al Fateh in the lead.
Al Nassr has dominated possession so far, but has failed to create any meaningful chances. It now looks to cut open the Fateh defence with long balls, but Alamri can’t find Ronaldo.
Gustavo with a badly timed tackle and he gives away a cheap freekick. Ronaldo is yet to get involved properly as both sides look for rhythm.
Al Ghannam moves the ball down the right for Al Nassr, but he can’t find Ronaldo in the box. Strong start by Al Nassr.
Al Nassr in its white kits, while Al Fatteh is in its blue outfits. And we have kick-off.
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr will look to bounce back from the 3-1 defeat it received at the hands of Al Ittihad in its last game, in its next league clash against Al-Fateh at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium on Friday.
After starring with a brace in the exhibition game against PSG, Ronaldo failed to inspire his side over Al Ittihad, resulted in elimination from the Saudi Arabian Super Cup.
Al Fateh, which is the sixth in the table will be looking to put up a good fight against the Portuguese legend-led side.
Al Nassr has an advantage in terms of head-to-head battles, having won 15 of the 26 games between the two sides.