Cristiano Ronaldo scored a 115th-minute penalty to maintain Al-Nassr’s 100 percent start to the Saudi Pro League season following a 2-1 win over Al-Fayha.
Ronaldo, who had equalised earlier in the game after Jason had given the visitors a surprise lead, dispatched the spot-kick deep into second-half stoppage-time after defender Abdulelah Al-Amri was adjudged to have been fouled in the box.
The result in Riyadh preserves Ronaldo and co.’s perfect start to the league campaign that has seen them win all seven of their opening matches to move three points clear at the top.
Al-Nassr v Al-Fayha as it happened
With the likes of Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman in their ranks, it is perhaps unsurprising that Al-Nassr have scored the most goals in the Saudi top-flight so far this term.
But despite the hoists enviable attacking prowess, it was the visitors who took a surprise lead on 13 minutes when former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling’s ball over the top found the run of Jason.
With Al-Nassr’s high defensive line exposed, the Spanish forward charged into the box before finishing beyond Nawaf Alaqidi to give Al-Fayha the early advantage.
Kingsley Coman then scored what initially appeared to be the equaliser when he finished well from Sadio Mane’s low cross, but VAR adjudged that Mane had been in an offside position in the build-up.
However, the hosts would draw level before the break courtesy of Ronaldo. Following some neat footwork by Coman, the Frenchman picked out Ronaldo in the box and the Portuguese forward required just two touches to take the ball away from the keeper and lash home his eighth goal of the season.
With things all square at the break, Al-Nassr began the second half brightly. Ronaldo squandered a good chance when he failed to hit the target after latching on to Angelo Gabriel’s cutback.
The visitors looked more dangerous on the counter-attack in the latter stages of the match, and had a couple of great chances to nick it at the death.
And they were made to rue those squandered efforts when Al-Nassr were awarded a penalty in the 15th minute of added time, which Ronaldo duly converted to give his team a last-gasp victory.
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