Striker Cristiano Ronaldo found the net as Al Nassr defeated Al Wehda 3-1 in the 13th round of the Pro League to maintain their second position.
In the 49th minute, Ronaldo faced the goalkeeper, but his precise shot towards the far corner went wide. A player from Al Wehda attempted to clear the ball but made a short pass within the penalty area and got pressed, which was confusing. Midfielder Waleed Bakshween headed the ball towards the goalkeeper, but Ronaldo intercepted and swiftly slotted the ball from a distance of less than 10 meters, extending Al Nassr’s lead to 3-0.
This marked Ronaldo’s 864th career goal in 1,194 appearances. He continues to lead the world’s professional football goal-scoring chart in 2023, with 45 goals in 49 matches. In the Pro League, the 38-year-old forward still tops the Golden Boot race with 13 goals and seven assists in 12 games.
Apart from the goal, Ronaldo had limited opportunities in this match. When Al Nassr won a free-kick from an oblique angle on the right, approximately 25 meters away, he deferred to defender Alex Telles, who took a left-footed shot in the 11th minute. Telles’ shot curved into the far corner, opening the scoring as goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi moved in the opposite direction.
Ronaldo also had a free-kick opportunity in the 28th minute from about 35 meters. His powerful left-footed strike aimed for the top corner, but the home team’s goalkeeper pushed it away. In the 43rd minute, Portuguese striker Ronaldo was fouled by Oscar Duarte in the middle of the field. He expressed his discontent, questioning Duarte, “What game are you playing?”.
Al Nassr’s captain was involved in a situation where he was in an offside position, leading to Anderson Talisca’s disallowed goal. In the 62nd minute, Telles delivered a cross from the left to the near post, where Talisca dove to guide the ball into the net with his thigh. Ronaldo initially intended to shoot but hesitated, raising his hands when he saw Talisca rushing in. Nevertheless, the referee ruled that Ronaldo interfered with the play, resulting in an offside call.
Al Wehda currently sits in ninth place out of 18 teams in the Pro League and is ranked 747th globally according to Opta’s strength index. They are rated lower than three Southeast Asian clubs: Johor Darul Tazim (389th), Buriram United (567th), and Bangkok United (626th).
The level of Al Wehda was not enough to halt Ronaldo’s impressive form, with him scoring ten goals in his last ten matches. After this game, he will join the Portuguese national team to prepare for the remaining Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Liechtenstein on November 16 and Iceland on November 19.
