Saudi Pro League 2024-25 : Ronaldo Shines with a Brace as Al Nassr Overcome Al Khaleej
The star forward scored twice, and his performance was crucial to securing the three points for Al Nassr, especially after Al Khaleej's defender Saeed Al Hamsal was shown a red card in the first half, leaving his team a player down.
Jaanvy Gill 
Cristiano Ronaldo played a pivotal role in Al Nassr’s 3-1 victory over Al Khaleej in a Saudi Pro League match on Tuesday. The match began in a stalemate, with both teams battling it out without finding the net in the opening period. However, Al Nassr capitalized on their numerical advantage in the second half. Ronaldo broke the deadlock in the 65th minute, although his goal came from a somewhat scuffed shot outside the box that found its way into the bottom corner of the net.
Al Khaleej responded almost instantly. In the 70th minute, they were awarded a penalty after a handball by an Al Nassr player in the box. Kostas Fortounis made no mistake from the spot, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to equalize for Al Khaleej.
The equalizer only spurred Al Nassr on. Just minutes later, they regained the lead through wing-back Sultan Al-Ghannam, who finished off a well-worked move with a composed close-range finish.
Ronaldo put the game beyond Al Khaleej's reach in the dying moments. After a brilliant unselfish cutback from Saad Hussain Haqawi, Ronaldo tapped the ball into an empty net, completing his brace and securing the win for Al Nassr.
The victory lifted Al Nassr to third place in the Saudi Pro League standings, while Al Khaleej remained in eighth position, struggling to make a mark in the league. Ronaldo's double helped reaffirm his reputation as one of the best in the world, while Al Nassr’s momentum continues to build in the race for the top of the table.
