Cristiano Ronaldo Nets First Half Hattrick As Al Nassr Tear Pitso Mosimane’s Abha Apart With 8:0 Win

• Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Al-Nassr to their heaviest win of the season
• The veteran forward scored a first-half hat-trick to seal an 8-0 scoreline
• Meanwhile, the result leaves Pitso Mosimane's Abha in the relegation zone

Cristiano Ronaldo played a starring role for Al-Nassr for the umpteenth time as Al-Nassr completed a demolishing exercise against Pitso Mosimane's Abha Club.

Ronaldo, who has been on a purple patch of form lately, scored his second hat-trick in a space of three days as the Knights of Najd cruised to an impressive 8-0 victory at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium.

The 39-year-old got things underway with a stroke of luck, capitalising on a mistake by Romanian goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu to open the scoring from a free-kick after just 11 minutes.

Ronaldo then doubled the lead with a superbly executed set-piece, demonstrating his skill by lofting the ball over the Abha wall.

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He turned provider shortly after, setting up Sadio Mane to extend Al-Nassr's lead further before adding to his own tally with a magnificent lobbed finish for his 65th career hat-trick, bringing his season total to 29 goals from 24 appearances, as noted by Transfermarkt.

With a masterful assist to Abdulmajeed Al Sulaiheem just before halftime, Cristiano capped off a near-perfect first half before being given a well-deserved rest alongside Mane.

However, Al-Nassr's dominance didn't wane in the second half, with Abdulrahman Ghareeb adding another goal shortly after the restart.

Abdulaziz Al Elewai, who replaced Mane at halftime, scored his first goal of the campaign before adding a second, benefiting from a defensive lapse to seal a resounding 8-0 victory.

The impressive win not only marked Al-Nassr's largest margin of victory this season but also inflicted Abha's heaviest defeat of the campaign, surpassing their previous 7-0 loss to Al-Hilal in December.

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Ronaldo wins Saudi POTM award

In an earlier, publication, Sports Brief reported that Cristiano Ronaldo's stellar performances in March have earned him the title of Saudi Pro League Player of the Month.

This marks his fourth award of the season and fifth since joining Al Nassr.

During the month, the 39-year-old netted five goals across three matches, including a hat-trick against Al-Tai.