Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace and Ali Alhassan scored a wonder strike as Al-Nassr comfortably eased past city rival Al Hilal 3-1 in the Saudi Pro League at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday.
It was a dream first goal of the campaign for the 28-year-old midfielder Alhassan as he found the net in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
The match started in a frantic pace as both teams looked to take on the opposition. The visiting side got an early scare when Ronaldo suffered a shoulder injury in the 12th minute of the match while defending a corner. However, the Portuguese striker was back on the field after receiving treatment.
Alhassan’s goal came with a outlandish strike, with the Saudi Arabian finding the top-left corner from outside the box following a short corner routine.
AS IT HAPPENED: Al Hilal vs Al Nassr HIGHLIGHTS
The visiting side extended its lead to two goals courtesy of Ronaldo in the 47th minute. The goal stemmed from a rapid turnover in possession, allowing Sadio Mane to initiate a swift counter-attack.
Exploiting Al Hilal’s high defensive line, Mane drove forward with pace before delivering a precise pass into the penalty area. The Portuguese forward, Ronaldo, positioned himself effectively and clinically converted the opportunity, leaving the Al Hilal goalkeeper with no chance.
After conceding the second, the home side rose to the occasion and started to dominate possession and got one back via defender Ali Albulayhi, who rose the tallest to head home from a corner.
The former Real Madrid player made it three in the dying minutes of the second half from the spot to take the game out of the host team’s reach. This was Al Nassr’s first Riyadh derby win in over three years.
After this win, Al-Nassr stays at third place in the standings with 54 points and comes within three points of Al Hilal. On the other hand, the defeat puts a big dent on Al Hilal’s title hopes.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com