Cristiano Ronaldo missed out on the Saudi Pro League title but concluded the season with a new goalscoring record. The 39-year-old Portuguese superstar scored twice in Al Nassr's 4-2 victory over Al Ittihad on Monday, bringing his league tally to 35 goals, surpassing Abderrazak Hamdallah's 2019 record by one goal.
Ronaldo, who had two goals disallowed for offside, scored his first in the final seconds of the first half, controlling a long pass from Mohammed Al Fatil and netting a low shot from the left side of the area. With 21 minutes left, he headed in a corner from Marcelo Brozovic and was substituted to a standing ovation from the home crowd five minutes later. "I don't follow the records, the records follow me," he wrote on Instagram.
Ronaldo's eventful season included four hat-tricks, one red card, and a suspension for an obscene gesture directed at Al Shabab fans chanting Lionel Messi's name. Al Nassr finished second in the league, 14 points behind unbeaten local rivals Al Hilal, who claimed their 19th title, a Saudi record, with a 34-game win streak, only broken by Al Ain in the Asian Champions League semi-finals.
Aleksandar Mitrovic, a new signing from Fulham, secured Al Hilal's final match victory with a last-second goal against Al Wehda, finishing the season with 27 league goals, second to Ronaldo. Al Hilal's coach, Jorge Jesus, praised the team's exceptional season, attributing their success to the squad's talent and unity.
Al Ittihad, the defending champions, had a disappointing season, finishing fifth. New signings Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, and Fabinho struggled with injuries and form. Al Ahli, another club taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, finished third, 17 points behind Al Nassr, with Roberto Firmino scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over Al Fayha.
Ronaldo still has an opportunity to secure a trophy when Al Nassr faces Al Hilal in the King’s Cup final on Friday.
Comments
Post a Comment