Cristiano Ronaldo assists twice as Al Nassr beats Al Taawoun in Saudi Pro League

It was Al Nassr’s second win in a row, with the team pipping Al Ittihad on goal difference to sit on top with 40 points in 60 games so far, in the league.

Despite failing to score this time, he set up both the goals in the match, helping his side secure three points at Mrsool Park | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo provided two crucial assists as Al Nassr beat Al Taawoun to top the Saudi Pro League, at the Mrsool Park Stadium in Riyadh on Friday.

Al Nassr started the game aggressively and found the breakthrough in the 18th minute when Ronaldo switched the play with a clinical through ball across the field for Abdulrahman Ghareeb along the left flank.

The Saudi winger darted along the left flank, cut to his right and shot past Mailson, the Al Taawoun goalkeeper with finesse.

Ronaldo had a chance to double the lead after the half-hour mark when he tried a shot from outside the box. But the 38-year-old, who had scored four goals in the previous match, found no force in the shot as Mailson pounced on it with ease.

Al Taawoun’s reply came early in the second half when it caught the host napping as Mohammed Al-Ghamdi’s cross from the right found Alvaro Medran in the centre of the opposition box.

The former Real Madrid man, who had once shared the dressing room with Ronaldo, made no mistake to steer the cross into the net and equalise against his former teammate.

The visitor almost doubled its lead in the 67th minute when Leandre Kana, attacking against the run of play struck beautifully past Nawaf Al-Aqidi only to see it disallowed after a VAR check, which found him marginally offside.

The VAR came into play 10 minutes later – this time in case of an Al Nassr goal – and after a check by the referee, Faisal Alblwi, on the monitor, saw it being ruled in favour of the host.

Ronaldo, receiving a through ball from Luis Gustavo had passed to Abdullah Madu who shad netted the goal. But the linesman had immediately raised his flag for offside. However, the referee, after a check, gave the goal, which eventually proved to be the winner.

It was Al Nassr’s second win in a row, with the team pipping Al Ittihad on goal difference to sit on top with 40 points in 60 games so far, in the league.