Cristiano Ronaldo scored 4 goals for Al Nassr. (Twitter/Al Nassr)Al Nassr vs Al Wehda Highlights, Saudi Pro League: Cristiano Ronaldo burst into life in the Saudi Premier League match between Al Nassr and Al Wehda as he scored 4 goals in one match to steer his team to victory. For the first goal, he peeled off the opposition defender and finished expertly as a lethal left footed shot beat the goalie as the ball nestled into the bottom corner. For the second goal, ran on a through ball and finished it with aplomb, right through the opposition goalkeeper’s legs.
The first goal was a milestone one for the Portuguese talisman as it helped him reach 500 club goals. The 3rd goal, he scored from the spot to complete his first hattrick for Al Nassr. The fourth goal was a replay of the second as Ronaldo latched on to a through ball, hit it straight at the goalie who parried and the superstar finished off a rebound.
Earlier, Ronaldo started for Al Nassr against Al Wehda after a week of scoring a stoppage time penalty to help orchestrate a 2-2 draw. Ronaldo’s spot kick marked his first goal for the Saudi club since he joined them following the split with Manchester United midway through the season.
Follow highlights of Al Nassr vs Al Wehda
Al-Nassr team-mate Luis Gustavo has stated Ronaldo has made things 'difficult' for them. (Twitter/futbolder)
Almost time for full time and Ronaldo gets a late late chance but the goalie smothers him. And time is running out for Al Wehda. It's all over. Ronaldo who scored just once in his last 3 games, has scored 4 goals for the ninth time in his career. That's it for our coverage of the match. See you again next time.
FT: Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
Ghareeb maraudes into the box with two Al Wehda players on his back. Tries to square but it's cleared. Nice confident run from the winger.
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
And there's a chance for Ronaldo to provide his first assist of his new club but his minus is just ahead of the onrushing forward. That would have been 5.
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
Great run by Maran as Al Wehda gets in three or four tackles to ground him. Free kick in the left of the field near the box. Ronaldo as usual stands over it. There's the famous stance, that intake of breath and his set piece is flashed near the post. No harm done.
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
Al Nassr string together some passes as Ronaldo plays a one two with Gustavo but the latter's pass fails to find the intended target and it's gone out for a throw.
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
Sloppy from Al Wehda as Ronaldo slides one for the sub Maran whose shot is in the legs of a defender. In a flash Wehda counter but the ball does not find the intended target. End to end in the dying stages.
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
Good defence by Amadu. He just put his body on the line to clear the ball for a corner. Al Wehda takes it and nothing comes off it as Al Nassr clear it away.
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
Gustavo gives away a free kick with a handball. Al Wehda with the free kick. Is there a consolation goal somewhere? A left footed shot is over the bar as the Al Nassr goalie is not troubled.
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
That's a dounle change for Al Nassr with Alhassan & Lajami in and Alkhaibari & Sultan out. Just as well. Some tired legs in the middle now.
Excellent header by the rising Al Wehda player. Easily beats the defender as well as the goalkeeper but hits it onto the bar!! Agonizingly close.
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
This is the longest that Al Wehda have had the ball so far but they lose it again after a foul on a Al Nassr player. Al Nassr can build again.
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
There's an Al Nassr fan in the ground as we get a brif stoppage. The fan comes in, does a slide near the stands and then gets escorted out.
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
Al Nassr are well and truly in control of the match!!! And Ronaldo has scored his fourth goal!!!! It's just that easy for the Portuguese as he rips the Al Wehda defence apart!!!
Al Nassr 4-0 Al Wehda
Cristiano Ronaldo's hattricks in numbers
44 for Real Madrid
3 for Manchester United
3 for Juventus
10 for Portugal
1 for Al Nassr
And yes, the Al Nassr captain steps up to take the spot kick. Will he score his first hattrick since the one against Norwich in the Premier League? Ronaldo ready!! And he scores his 61st hattrick of his career!!!
Al Nassr 3-0 Al Wehda
A long check is going on for a potential handball on the Al Wehda captain. Referee checking the monitor and that almost always doesn't bode well for the defensive side. And it's a penalty!!!
Al Nassr on the attackl straightaway as Ronaldo tries to turn provider for Ghareeb but he has shot it straight at the goalkeeper. Al Nassr means business right from the first whistle.
Al Nassr 2-0 Al Wehda
The players are out in the middle and all eyes are on the unquestioned superstar in this match. Scored 2 already, how many can he score in this half? An elusive hattrick maybe?
HT: Al Nassr 2-0 Al Wehda
Four minutes are added and we are very close to half time. Ronaldo's goals are the difference as the Portuguese superstar finally shows his true colours in the Saudi League. And peep peep!!! That's half time.
HT: Al Nassr 2-0 Al Wehda
But no!!! It's not to be as the referee checks the goal. It's very tight and Ronaldo with a wry smile. The Al Nassr fans are booing and it's given!!! The goal stands!!!
Al Nassr 2-0 Al Wehda
And it's getting far too easy for Ronaldo. The ball is fed to him near the opposition box and he just slides past the defender marking him and plays it straight under the goalie's legs!!!
Al Nassr 2-0 Al Wehda
Al Wehda's free kick and the ball is lofted towards a bunch of red shirts. The looping shot is ultimately claimed by the Nassr goalie.
Al Nassr 1-0 Al Wehda
Ronaldo wins a free kick. Standing over the ball. Lofts the ball to the back post and it's cleared by the Al Wehda defenders. Ball still with Nassr.
Al Nassr 1-0 Al Wehda
With that goal, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored his 500th goal in all league competitions. These numbers are insane for a player who is still at the peak of his powers at 38
Al Wehda's Rodriguez has been their best player so far. Putting Al Nassr players in tough positions and even hitting the woodwork. Here he is again with a slithery run but the defenders deal wityh it.
Al Nassr 1-0 Al Wehda
The Al Nassr away fans have found their voice as the sounds of Ronaldo and Siuu reverberating all over the stadium. This is what the man can do. This is why he was bought for so much money. 2 goals in 2 games now.
Al Nassr 1-0 Al Wehda
And Ghareeb feeds Ronaldo. Ronaldo gets the ball and shoots!!! Scores but it's been checked now. For offside. And yes!!! The goal stands. Vintage Ronaldo!!
Al Nassr 1-0 Al Wehda
Ronaldo picks up the loose ball, drives forward but a sea of red shirts disposesses him. Ball back with Al Nassr as they look to build again.
Al Nassr 0-0 Al Wehda
Throw for Al Wehda after a rather sloppy clearence by the Al Nassr keeper. And oh dear!!! Rodriguez turns and Nassr is saved by the woodwork. Wonderful strike. Still scoreless.
Al Nassr 0-0 Al Wehda
Another free kick for Al Nassr and it's in range. Can he finally score a free kick? Nopr. Ronaldo strikes, hits the ball and goes behind.
Al Nassr 0-0 Al Wehda
Ronaldo is fed the ball just outside the D and he turns in a instant and shoots but but but, the shot is blocked by a charging defender.
Al Nassr 0-0 Al Wehda
Ronaldo with the run on the right flank, stops and feeds to ball to a teammate near the centre circle who shoots but it is well wide. CR7 showing intent from the first whistle.
Al Nassr 0-0 Al Wehda
Al Nassr kicking the ball from right to left in their home colors of blue and yellow. Early opening for Al Wehda as they march deep into the opposition territory but are unable to find a way to open the defence.
Al Nassr 0-0 Al Wehda
Al Wehda wioth the first attack of the match but Ronaldo has been sprightly in the middle and has won a free kick. Goes long but the Al Wehda defence clears it away.
Al Nassr 0-0 Al Wehda,
“I tried to bring Messi straight from Doha, first,” Al Nassr manager, Rudi Garcia had uttered only days after his club completed the signing of one Cristiano Ronaldo. It wouldn't take long for the club fans to chant the World Cup winning captain's name out loud. Following the 3-1 defeat to Al Ittihad, a match that saw Ronaldo fail to influence his team, the Al Nassr fans would chant, "Messi! Messi! Messi!" This, as Ronaldo walked off the pitch dejected.
Earlier, Ronaldo had captained Saudi All-Star XI in a 4-5 loss to Paris Saint Germain in an exhibition match. A match that saw him score one up than his long time La Liga rival but end up on the losing side.
Of the many Cristiano Ronaldo anecdotes, perhaps the most heard is that of his training ethics. 'First one in, last one out'. Right from his early Manchester United days all the way to Saudi Arabia, his work rate has been part of the foundation on which Ronaldo's legacy has been built. However, the training restrictions owing to the hard weather in Saudi may have been a bit of a hurdle.
Because of the high temperatures, Saudi clubs generally don’t have more than one training session a day. And that means coaching teams have less control over their players as a result, Sergio Piernas, who was assistant coach of Saudi Arabia Under-23s in 2021, had told The Athletic last month.
“Training is in the afternoon, at around 3pm or even later in the warmer months — at something like 6pm or 7pm,” Piernas said. “It affects the training dynamic, and there are fewer options for complementary training too."
The vintage CR7 drills and sessions may not be a thing the Al Nassr fans get to witness.
In the first half, with Al Fateh leading, Al Nassr's Talisca hit the far post following a move from the left. In the follow up, Ronaldo had an empty goal gaping, with the Al Fateh goalkeeper still on ground after a dive. The Portuguese however, skied the shot over. [Read more]
Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed a two and a half years deal with Al Nassr last month, was named captain on his debut in their Saudi Pro league game against Al Ettifaq last month.
His teammate Jaloliddin Masharipov has come out and revealed how the squad reacted to the Portueguese superstar being named captain right at the start. [Read more]
Cristiano Ronaldo’s fretful time so far in Saudi Arabia has taken another turn as teammate Luis Gustavo believes that he has made things ‘difficult’ for him and the other members of the team and that other clubs are targeting Al-Nassr because of Ronaldo’s presence.
“Certainly, the presence of Cristiano (Ronaldo) makes it difficult for us, as all teams seek to participate against him in the best possible way, and he gives motivation to everyone,” Gustavo told RT Arabic. [Read more]
Five time Ballon D’or winner Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday scored his first goal for Al Nassr, converting from the spot in the second half stoppage time leading to a 2-2 draw with Al Fateh.
The Portuguese international, who had earlier in the game missed from point blank as he skied one over an empty goal, slotted from 12 yards out in the third minute of added time. [Read more]
It’s that time of the week. Cristiano Ronaldo time. The Al Nassr forward, inserts Doctor Strange’s ‘Yep, still feels weird’ gif, will be in action against Al Wehda in the Saudi Pro League.
Playing against Al Fateh last week, Ronaldo had netted his first goal for Al Nassr, converting from the spot kick in added time to help his team grab a point from a 2-2 draw. Stay tuned as we bring you all the updates.