Ronaldo signs off 2023 in Style with goal in Al-Nassr Win

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a record-extending 54th goal of 2023 as he finished the year on a high as Al-Nassr came from behind to beat Al-Taawoun 4-1 in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday to cut the gap on leaders Al-Hilal to seven points.

The visitors had to come from a goal down after going behind early in the game after Al-Taawoun were awarded a penalty for a tangle in the box.

The decision was given after a VAR check that left Ronaldo raging and booked for his protests. Captain Aschraf El Mahdioui then stepped up to take the penalty and saw his initial effort saved by Al-Nassr keeper Aschraf El, but he managed to knock home the rebound.

The lead was short-lived as Ronaldo helped Al-Nassr get back on level terms just before the half-hour mark. The Portugal international combined superbly with Talisca to tee up Marcelo Brozovic to drive into the area and finish powerfully to make it 1-1.

Read :Premier league Top Scorers 2023-2024 

Former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporta then headed Al-Nassr in front just five minutes later.

A corner was met firmly by the centre-back, who connected powerfully with the ball to give Cristiano Ronaldo  team the lead heading into the half-time break.

Al-Nassr extended their lead just minutes into the second half. A Brozovic ball into the box was cleared straight to Otavio who swept home from close range for 3-1.

Cristiano Ronaldo should have made it 4-1 when sent clean through on goal moments later but ended up firing wildly over the bar with just the keeper to beat.

Another chance went begging with 20 minutes to go. Ronaldo was played into the area but smashed a fierce left-footed effort against the frame of the goal. Al-Taawoun threatened to pull a goal back in the closing stages but couldn’t find a way past Nawaf Alaqidi.

Instead it was left to Ronaldo to finish the game in style. The 38-year-old netted his 54th goal in 59 matches this calendar year with a deft header at the far post to seal a comfortable win and an important three points. Grade: B

Two penalties from Cristiano Ronaldo proved crucial as Al-Nassr won 5-2 against Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad to put the Riyadh club seven points behind current leaders Al-Hilal.

Ronaldo thought he scored in the 11th minute when he met a cross and diverted into the net, but the flag was up for offside.

Just two minutes later, Al-Nassr found themselves behind when Abderrazak Hamdallah went on a great run and smashed low into the visitors’ net.

Karim Benzema’s foul inside the box provided Ronaldo a chance to pull his team level and the Portuguese star was able to deliver the penalty. Shortly afterwards, he went through on goal with a great chance but ended up smacking the bar.

Al-Nassr edged ahead before half-time when Alex Telles’ excellent cross found Anderson Talisca and the forward did remarkably well in controlling the ball, turning and firing home.

Al-Ittihad were level once again after 51 minutes as Hamdallah got another against his former club, this time heading in after Igor Coronado’s cross from a free-kick. He almost scored again right after but his shot was saved.

Ronaldo was on hand to score yet again when his team were awarded a penalty. Al-Ittihad’s strong second half display fell apart midway through the period when Fabinho was shown a second yellow card when he caught an opponent’s face, allowing the 38-year-old to batter it into the bottom corner.

The game was soon wrapped up neatly when Talisca broke through on goal and squared to Sadio Mane to fire in and the Senegal star followed that up with another fine finish. Grade: B+.

Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty to help fire Al-Nassr to a 3-1 win against Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.

It was a frustrating afternoon overall for the Portugal star as he wasted a few too many chances to score in a dominant display for the Riyadh club.

After squandering two great opportunities, Ronaldo finally got onto the scoresheet when he fired in from the spot after Sadio Mane was fouled in the visitors’ box.

The 38-year-old’s goal extended his team’s lead to three goals after Alex Telles’ gorgeous effort opened the scoring and Marcelo Brozovic got his first goal after capitalising on some awful play from Al-Ettifaq, combining with Ronaldo and then firing into the net.

Al-Ettifaq pulled a goal back late on through Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi but the damange had already been done by then. Grade: B-.

Cristiano Ronaldo bagged his 50th goal of 2023 as Al-Nassr romped into the semi-finals of the King Cup of Champions with a 5-2 win at Al-Shabab.

After the 38-year-old nearly gave the visitors the lead when his free-kick from 25 yards shot through the wall, only for goalkeeper Seung-gyu Kim to make a smart stop, the hosts should have gone gone ahead from the spot.

Yannick Carrasco was hauled down by Abdulrahman Ghareeb in the 15th minute but the Belgian skied his penalty over the bar and 90 seconds later, Seko Fofana made it 1-0 to Al-Nassr.

Ronaldo had a couple of good chances to make it 2-1 but fluffed his lines from 15 yards and then shot straight at the keeper near the penalty spot. Al-Shabab drew level in the 24th minute when Carlos headed home from a corner after slack marking, but Sadio Mane restored Al-Nassr’s advantage from a rapid counter-attack.

Ronaldo wasn’t far away from making it 3-1 as he tried to turn in Marcelo Brozovic’s pass across the six-yard box, but Ghareeb was on hand to tap home in first-half stoppage time.

Ronaldo apologised to his teammates after lashing a poor shot high and wide of the goal from range but he was celebrating not long later when he lashed in for his team’s fourth following superb work from Otavio 16 minutes from time.

The former Real Madrid ace made way in the 82nd minute for Mohammed Maran with the contest won, but there was still time for Hattan Bahebri and Maran to score a goal apiece after the 90th minute to make it 5-2.

Luis Castro’s side rode their luck at times but now they are in the last four of the competition.

Ronaldo wasn’t at his best but to bring up a half-century in one year, as he approaches 40, is a remarkable effort.

Grade: A-

Having been beaten 3-0 by Al-Hilal last time out, in a dismal performance, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nassr got back to winning ways in comfortable fashion on Friday.

Ronaldo thought he was going to have the opening goal when he took aim from inside the box, but saw his shot cleared off the line.

There was some suggestion the defender used his hand, but VAR opted against recommending a penalty.

The 38-year-old did open the scoring in typically cool fashion, as he volleyed home a delicious delivery from Sadio Mane.

And the Portugal superstar was key to the second goal as well, as he delivered a teasing cross and saw Otavio convert a diving header.

Anderson Talisca added a third in the second half, converting after good work from Mane down the left flank.

Riyadh pulled a goal back, through ex-Premier League striker Andre Gray, but Nassr responded in kind as Talisca scored a header in injury time.

Ronaldo’s influence was keenly felt, although this was a fine team display, rather than an individual masterclass.

Grade: B+

In a battle between the two heavyweight sides in the Saudi Pro League, Hilal bested their rivals and went seven points clear of Ronaldo and co in the standings.

Ex-Fulham star Aleksandr Mitrovic net twice in the final minutes of the game to close it out, making it six-straight games with a goal for the Serbian international. The opener was scored by former Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who notched home a blistering header in the 64th minute.

For Ronaldo, it was an evening where he was more often caught complaining to the referee for a ghost foul rather than him fighting for a goal himself.

He was guility of engaging in discourse with his opposition and the referee, the striker seemingly struggling to integrate his mind into the match on top of his body.

The Portuguese legend had, however, put one in the back of the net at one point late in the match, but after a VAR review it was deemed offside. In a moment of madness, Nassr boss Luis Castro even pulled out his phone to try and show the Assistant referee that the VAR was wrong.

It didn’t stop there, though, as Ronaldo was once again called offside on another Nassr goal in stoppage time on a night where nothing – at all – went right for the 38-year-old.

Grade: D

Cristiano Ronaldo put in an underwhelming display as Al-Nassr were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Persepolis in the AFC Champions League on Monday.

The Portugal star seemed set to lead his team to an early lead when he was brought down inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot.

Amazingly, though, the forward signalled to the referee that it was not a foul and, after a VAR review, the referee decided to reverse his decision.

The two sides exchanged chances with neither side really dominating. Al-Nassr had most of the possession, despite seeing Ali Lajami sent off with a straight red card in 17 minutes, but Persepolis were the more trigger happy throughout.

After a brief injury fear early in the second half, Ronaldo was presented with a good opportunity when Sadio Mane’s pass into the box found him via an Otavio dummy.

The Portugal star made space for himself just inside the box and unleashed a shot but it flew wide of the target. The 38-year-old was taken off with less than 15 minutes remaining as the game fizzed out to a goalless draw. Grade: C-.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two absolutely superb goals for Al-Nassr as they cruised to a comfortable win on Friday night.

Sami Al Naji opened the scoring, tapping home a cut-back from Sultan Al-Ghannam. Ronaldo could only watch on as the ball was converted.

The Portugal superstar actually appeared to suffer an injury, as he was involved in a heavy collision in the box and appeared to hold his back in pain.

Ronaldo then scored a superb goal himself, despite that injury issue, as he quite brilliantly controlled an errant goalkeeper punch and slammed the ball home at the near post.

He followed that up with one of the best goals he has ever scored. After the goalkeeper rushed out, Ronaldo sent a lob from 30 yards into the back of the net.

He could not have played any better, especially when his potential injury is factored in. Grade: A+

Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed his 13th Saudi Pro League goal of the season to help Al-Nassr to a 4-1 win against Al-Wehda.

It turned out to be a comfortable afternoon for the Riyadh club despite some bright spells from their opponents, and the fun began with a scrumptious free-kick goal from Alex Telles, who sent the ball curling into the box as goalkeeper Munir could only stand and watch.

Sadio Mane came close to heading in another for the visitors, but his header bounced off the ground and was tipped over the bar.

The home team looked capable of pulling level for most of the remainder of the first half, but instead it was Al-Nassr defender Abdulelah Al Amri who grabbed the next goal, rising to head in from Marcelo Brozovic’s cross from a corner.

Ronaldo had a great chance to make it 3-0 four minutes into the second half, but his effort went wide.

He did not have to wait much longer for his goal, though. Just seconds later, Al-Wehda’s lame attempt to play the ball out from the back ended in a horrendous header that fell just in front of Ronaldo, teeing him up for a simple finish.

Al-Nassr thought they had grabbed another goal just after the hour mark when the ball was played into the box where Ronaldo and Anderson Talisca were queuing up for it, and it hit off the latter before bouncing beyond Munir.

However, after a VAR review it was ruled that Ronaldo was offside and interfering with play as the ball was lobbed in.

Al-Wehda managed to pull a goal back in the 81st minute through an Anselmo header, but the damage had been done and, despite having a last-minute goal ruled out after a VAR review, it was a comfortable day for Ronaldo and Co. Grade: B-

Ronaldo played the decisive role as Al-Nassr beat Al-Khaleej 2-0 in Riyadh to stretch their unbeaten run to 16 matches in all competitions.

The Portugal star lashed home from outside the box to beat Al-Khaleej goalkeeper Marwan Al-Haidari 26 minutes into the Saudi Pro League match.

The goal came over 15 minutes after Sadio Mane thought he had opened the scoring, but was denied after a lengthy VAR check ruled him offside.

After a long spell without any clear cut chances for either side, Ronaldo popped up to help make the difference once again, this time meeting a free-kick at the back post to send it across the goal for Aymeric Laporte to knock into the empty net.

In another drab affair in Saudi Arabia, Al-Nassr must be elated that they had Ronaldo to bail them out and keep them four points behind Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal. Grade: B.

Cristiano Ronaldo was off the pace as Al-Nassr squeaked past Al-Ettifaq in the King Cup of Champions thanks to Sadio Mane’s extra-time winner.

Both teams were reduced to 10 men following Anderson Talisca’s dismissal just before half time and Ali Hazazi’s red card in the 89th minute at the KSU Stadium.

Home side Nassr had 16 shots on goal and 60% possession, compared to the six efforts Steven Gerrard’s men mustered, and their patience finally paid off when Alex Telles’ cross found Mane, who swept home in the 107th minute.

Ronaldo spurned a number of good opportunities on Tuesday, and had several run-ins with referee Piero Maza Gomez.

In the first half, the cantankerous Portuguese was booked for dissent after his protests over not getting a free-kick just outside the box crossed the line.

Later on, the officials again attracted the forward’s ire for ruling out a goal for offside following a lengthy and contentious VAR review.

In response, an incredulous Ronaldo made the substitution symbol but pointed at the referee; who then made things even worse for Al-Nassr, opting to send off Talisca for seemingly striking an opponent in the face – though the contact was minimal.

Ronaldo remonstrated repeatedly as the teams walked down the tunnel and even exchanged words with ex-Liverpool man Jordan Henderson, who is now turning out for Al-Ettifaq.

The second half was quieter, but Al-Nassr’s star man still had a chance to win it right at the end of normal time, only to see his shot from 12 yards blocked after good work from Mane. He also spurned a signature free kick.

So, in the end, it was former Liverpool man Mane who proved to be the difference. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has had better days at the office.

Grade: D

Cristiano Ronaldo played a key role as Al-Nassr beat Al-Feiha 3-1 in an otherwise subdued peformance from the star forward.

After a goalless first-half that saw both teams squander their opportunities, Ronaldo teed up Anderson Talisca for the opening goal just five minutes after the restart.

The Portugal star had just seen a header go just wide of the mark but Al-Nassr pushed forward immediately afterwards and a quick combination saw Ronaldo pass back to Talisca on the edge of the box and the attacker’s effort beat the goalkeeper with help from a huge deflection.

Ronaldo looked destined to make it 2-0 when he was sent through on goal but he failed to get the shot off and lost the ball. Al-Nassr won it straight back and Sadio Mane fired into the net, but the offside flag was up.

Instead it was Talisca who nodded in the visitors’ second goal to round off a fine team move, but the home team pulled one back through Hussain Al Shuwaish, who got on the end of a free-kick cross to knock it beyond Nawaf Al Aqidi.

Al-Nassr had no reason to fear, however, as Otavio restored their two-goal lead when he sent it curling into the net from outside the box.

The second-half performance was a big improvement on the first 45 as Ronaldo and Co. go second in the Saudi Pro League.

Grade: C.

Having won their opening two games in the AFC Champions League, Nassr came into this clash with Qatari side Duhail well aware that a win would put them on the cusp of qualification for the knockout stages.

Ronaldo clearly knew that too, and played a key role in the home side breaking the deadlock, as the Portugal superstar flicked a beautiful backheel to Anderson Talisca, who shot from range and scored.

Duhail thought they had a leveller early in the second half, as they worked a one-on-one situation and scored, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Swiftly after, as if forced into action, Nassr added a second, as Sadio Mane chested down a cross and finished coolly, after Ronaldo had mistimed his attempted header.

And on the hour, Ronaldo added a brilliant third, curling a superb effort into the top corner from 25 yards to seemingly put the game to bed. Amazingly, though, Duhail pulled two goals back in quick succession, scoring in the 63rd and 67th minutes.

Ronaldo was having none of it, however, and scored his second and Nassr’s fourth with a stunning pinged volley on the run after a fantastic lofted through ball.

Duhail scored again to once again set Nassr pulses racing, but Ronaldo et al were able to hold on and record a pulsating victory, thanks to the sheer brilliance of the Real Madrid and Manchester United legend.

Grade: A+

Ronaldo was once again Al-Nassr’s hero, scoring a superb free-kick to give his side a 2-1 win, as they were forced to come from behind in a tight Pro League encounter.

Damac may be one of sides in the division without a sprinkling of stardust in terms of big-money imports, but they took the lead through ex-Tottenham man Georges-Kevin Nkoudou on the stroke of half-time, as he was sent through one-on-one and finished coolly.

Before that, Ronaldo appeared to be tripped in the penalty area, but the referee turned a blind eye and did not point to the spot.

The Portugal superstar thought he had equalised just after half-time with a smart header, too but it was correctly ruled offside.

It was Anderson Talisca who levelled things up, scoring a free-kick from the edge of the box, with Ronaldo used as the dummy taker in the routine. And just minutes later, Ronaldo took a free-kick of his own, and found the top corner with a truly stunning strike.

Nassr did have to hang on somewhat to take all three points, but they managed to do exactly that, recording yet another victory, thanks to Ronaldo’s heroics.

Grade: A

Ronaldo struggled to influence the game as Al-Nassr dropped points against one of the Pro League’s bottom feeders.

The Portuguese’s impact was admittedly minimal on a day that should have been far simpler than it actually was, with the title hopefuls missing a litany of chances — and settling for a disappointing 2-2 draw.

The 38-year-old was instrumental in the build up to the opening goal, providing a perfectly weighted backheel into the path of Marcelo Brozovic, who squared to Otavio for a 1-0 lead inside five minutes.

He spent the next 85 minutes, though, misfiring. Ronaldo really should have made it 2-0 within 15 minutes, sending a free header over the bar — before screaming at himself in frustration.

He failed to convert on a number of half chances thereafter, scuffing a Sadio Mane cutback wide. The game around him, meanwhile, continued to buzz.

Talisca made it 2-0 for the home side, seemingly setting up a comfortable win. But Abha had a response.

First, Saad Bguir converted from the penalty spot. And then, in second-half stoppage time, former Lyon winger Karl Toko Ekambi, lashed one in from 25 yards to secure a 2-2 draw.

And, with Al Nassr’s last attack, Ronaldo was caught mindlessly offside in the build-up, an appropriate end to a poor showing from the star striker.

Grade: C

Cristiano Ronaldo turned in a middling performance, but still managed to score a vital leveling goal in an important win for Al-Nassr in an AFC Champions League showdown.

The Pro League title competitors had difficulty breaking down Tajikstani side Istiklol in the first half. Ronaldo, for his part, was heavily involved without finding the net. He made all of the right runs in and around the box, and found pockets of space.

But the final touch wasn’t quite there. He scuffed a shot that drew an easy save out of Rustam Yatimov, and followed it with a close range miss five minutes before halftime.

He was made to pay for his inability to find the goal, as the visitors took a 1-0 lead thanks to a goalkeeping blunder on the stroke of half time. But the inevitable goal eventually came.

The striker saw an effort denied from close range by a sliding defender, but latched onto the rebound to lift the ball over the keeper to lock the game at 1-1.

Al-Nassr took the lead shortly after, Talisca rising to nod the ball into the back of the net. He added a third on 77 minutes with a cool side-footed finish.

Although the Portuguese was not the star of the night, his contributions were crucial as his side won their second straight Champions League contest. Grade: B

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late winner to bring a positive end to an underwhelming display as Al-Nassr beat Al-Tai 2-1 on Friday.

The victory comes in controversial circumstances as the Riyadh side were awarded a penalty 85 minutes into the clash, just a few moments after Virgil Misidjan thought he had earned a draw for Al-Tai with their equalizing goal.

It was a ropey performance from Ronaldo and his co-stars throughout, as they wasted chance after chance in Ha’il.

The one positive from Ronaldo came just after the half-hour mark when he fed a nice one-touch pass through to Talisca, who blasted it across the goalkeeper and into the net.

However, the 38-year-old missed a huge opportunity shortly afterwards when Marcelo Brozovic’s excellent pass came over his shoulder and he unleashed that sailed across the face of the goal.

That missed effort summed up the rest of his performance as he saw one header saved and then fought off a challenge to nudge a shot towards goal, only to see it hit the post.

When Misidjan levelled matters, it seemed the two teams would, quite rightly, share the spoils, but an Alfa Semedo handball provided Ronaldo with the perfect opportunity to steal the three points and ensure they remain just one point behind leaders Al-Ittihad. Grade: C

The Portugal captain didn’t need long to get going, opening the scoring for his side after just four minutes. It was a vintage Ronaldo goal, too, the forward running down the left channel before firing a shot across the keeper and into the far corner.

And it wasn’t his only big moment. He should have added a second after eight minutes, lunging to the back post to meet Anderson Talisca’s driven cross — and rattling the woodwork with the goal gaping. He followed that by hitting a free-kick tamely into the chest of former Chelsea shot-stopper Edouard Mendy.

He added a second shortly after the break, weaving through the Al-Ahli defence, cutting onto his left foot and firing an effort into the bottom corner to give his side a 4-2 lead.

This served as a thesis as to what, exactly, Al-Nassr can do going forward. Talisca also bagged a brace, while Sadio Mane created chaos.

The home side will feel that they could have scored six, if their finishing had been cleaner. Things weren’t perfect for Al-Nassr. They were admittedly shaky at the back, and conceded a late goal to set up a nervy finish. Still, they have now won seven in a row, and in this kind of form — with Ronaldo firing — don’t look like slowing down anytime soon. Grade: A

A far from ideal display from Ronaldo as Al-Nassr got their Champions League campaign under way. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner looked lost on a day where his side barely scraped by 10-man Iranian side Persepolis. Ronaldo took just one shot in the entire match and completed zero successful dribbles.

It was one of those nights for the 38-year-old, who never found his footing and proved to be more of a hindrance to his sides’ attack rather than an asset.

He won just two of his seven ground duels and more often than not found himself looking for a foul than continuing the play due to either being beaten or having the ball taken off him.

Persepolis were reduced to 10-men early in the second-half, which allowed Nassr to capitalise with two goals of their own, but Ronaldo played no part in either strike. Despite playing the full 90 minutes, he only had 27 touches of the ball and completed just 12 accurate passes. He was then subbed off in second-half stoppage time. Grade: C-

Returning from the international break, Ronaldo wasn’t shy in trying his luck against Al-Raed, with the Portuguese firing in a number of shots from long-range in the first half in between being the victim of some rough challenges from the home defenders.

His closest effort came when he fired a 18-yard free-kick narrowly wide, but it was left to Sadio Mane to open the scoring with an angled drive in first-half stoppage-time.

Half-time substitute Anderson Talisca doubled Nassr’s lead early in the second period with a 30-yard piledriver, and that just seemed to spurn Ronaldo on as he looked to score a spectacular goal himself.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner eventually got on the scoresheet with 11 minutes left on the clock, cutting inside onto his left foot before driving an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner, before the hosts grabbed a consolation penalty late on and Ronaldo had a potential second ruled out by VAR for offside.

Overall, not the best Ronaldo performance since his arrival in Saudi Arabia, but far from his worst either. Grade: B+

Ronaldo was central to just about everything good for Nassr against Hazm, as they recorded a big win.

The first half was without a degree of fluidity for Nassr, but Ronaldo played a key role in the opening goal.

Collecting the ball around 30 yards from goal, he drove at the Hazm defence and slid the ball through to Abdulrahman Ghareeb, who finished coolly. It was his fourth assist in four games.

Nassr added a second when Abdullah Al-Khaibari volleyed home from a corner; Ronaldo watched on as he finished at the back post.

Hazm pulled a goal back after the restart but the Portugal superstar was in no mood to allow a comeback.

First, he assisted Otavio for the third goal,