Ronaldo injured after missed penalty


There will be some concern despite the win.

Al-Nassr moved back to the top of the Saudi Pro League with a 3-1 win over Al-Fayha in a game that saw Cristiano Ronaldo come off injured, having earlier missed a penalty.

Leapfrogged by Al-Ahli following their 1-0 win at Al-Riyadh, Al-Nassr had a golden early chance to take the lead after Mikel Villanueva fouled Mohamed Simakan in the area. Ronaldo, though, pulled his penalty wide, the ball clipping off the outside of the left-hand post.

Kingsley Coman and Ronaldo then each spurned opportunities to break the deadlock, and Al-Nassr’s profligacy was punished when Abdulelah Al-Amri turned a low ball into the near post into his own net in first-half stoppage time.

Orlando Mosquera showed impressive reflexes to deny Ronaldo four minutes into the second half, but there was nothing he do to prevent Sadio Mane from levelling matters in the 72nd minutes, the former Liverpool star turning home at the far post following an excellent right-wing cross from Kingsley Coman.

Mosquera produced heroics to prevent Coman from completing the turnaround. However, he was the victim of significant misfortune as Al-Nassr took the lead 10 minutes from the end of normal time, Joao Felix’s drive cannoning off the post and deflecting in off the goalkeeper’s hip.

Ronaldo limped off in apparent discomfort after that goal, and his replacement Abdullah Al Hamddan made sure of the points.

Al Hamddan rolled his first goal since joining from Al-Hilal into the net after neat build-up play with Joao Felix left the unfortunate Mosquera scrambling in vain to prevent a third goal.

Al-Nassr are two points clear of Al-Ahli, with Al-Hilal a point further back in a three-way title race.


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