Cristiano Ronaldo on Target As Al Nassr Secure Hard Fought Win Over Al Fateh in Saudi League

• Cristiano Ronaldo was on target against Al Fateh
• Ronaldo's strike helped Al-Nassr seal a 2-1 win
• The win eats into Al-Hilal's lead at the top of the league

Once again, Cristiano Ronaldo showcased his goal-scoring prowess as Al-Nassr secured a crucial and hard-fought victory against Al Fateh on Saturday, February 17, at the KSU Stadium in Riyadh.

Fresh from reaching a remarkable milestone of 1000 club appearances during the midweek AFC Champions League clash against Al Fayha, Ronaldo continued his prolific form by notching his 21st goal in the Saudi Pro League.

The 39-year-old played a pivotal role in Al-Nassr's dominant start to the game, relentlessly peppering the opponent's goal with a barrage of attacks.

Ronaldo spurs Al-Nassr to slim win

In the 17th minute, the former Real Madrid goal-scoring machine capitalised on a well-constructed play initiated by Saudi right-back Sultan Al Ghannam, as cited by MARCA.

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Positioned in the box, Ronaldo clinically dispatched a first-time shot that slipped beneath the Fateh goalkeeper, breaking the deadlock and igniting hopes of a goal-scoring spree against the Al-Mubarraz-based outfit.

However, fate took an unexpected turn when Raghed Al Najjar suffered an injury just before the half-hour mark, prompting an early substitution as Waleed Abdullah stepped in as the replacement goalkeeper.

This change proved costly as Fateh capitalised on the disruption, equalising through Salem Al Najdi three minutes later, dampening the spirits of the home crowd.

Despite the setback, Al-Nassr persisted in their pursuit of victory, intensifying their offensive efforts in the second half.

Their patience paid off in the 72nd minute when Portuguese midfielder Otavio found the back of the net, securing the decisive goal that ultimately sealed the three points for Al-Nassr.

With the victory, Al-Nassr narrowed the gap on league leaders Al Hilal, who are scheduled to face Al Raed on February 18, per Sofascore, signalling a promising trajectory for Ronaldo and his teammates in the Saudi Pro League campaign.

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Ronaldo shows off after reaching 1000 caps

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Cristiano Ronaldo took to his social media platforms to celebrate reaching the milestone of 1,000 matches in club football this week.

Not only did he mark this occasion with a goal, his first of 2024, but he also achieved another personal record by scoring in 23 consecutive years.

In a departure from the usual celebratory remarks, the veteran player captioned a picture of himself 'showing off' with the words, "Who's counting?"