Cristiano Ronaldo blew Al-Wehda away with four goals in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr on Thursday night, which saw him reach an astonishing personal landmark
Cristiano Ronaldo finally announced himself in the Saudi Pro League with four goals for Al-Nassr on Thursday night, reaching a phenomenal personal milestone in the process.
The veteran striker, 38, only managed one goal – a last-gasp penalty – in his first three competitive appearances for the club he joined at the end of December. But he roared back to form against Al-Wehda, scoring in the 21st, 40th, 53rd and 61st minutes to reach then surpass 500 career league goals.
The Portugal captain’s first goal was a powerful, left-footed finish across the goalkeeper after he was played in down the channel. Ronaldo showed his poacher’s instincts to score his second, too, as he raced in-behind to latch onto a through-ball and finish under Abdulquddus Atiah.
His third came early in the second half, when he made no mistake from the penalty spot, and a fourth was added just after the hour mark to reach 503 league goals after the goalkeeper could only paw his tame shot back into his path to slide the ball into the empty net.
Ronaldo’s goals set Al-Nassr on a path to a much-needed victory as they push for another league title. The Middle Eastern giants have endured a patch of mixed form since signing the superstar on a contract worth £173million per year.
They drew two of their last three league games ahead of the fixture against Al-Wehda and were knocked out of the Saudi Super Cup by Al-Ittihad, depriving Ronaldo of a shot at an early piece of silverware. These results invited Al-Shabab back into the title race, but Ronaldo’s goals on Thursday night saw Al-Nassr leapfrog their rivals, over whom they also have a game in hand.
Of his breathtaking 503 career league goals, just three came in the Primeira Liga for Sporting Lisbon, the club where he burst onto the scene as a teenager in the early 200s. 84 came in the Premier League during his first stint at Manchester United, before he joined Real Madrid in 2009 in what was a world-record £80m transfer.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 500th league goal with a powerful finish across the goalkeeper ( Image: Sky Sports)
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner would go on to plunder 311 goals in just 292 La Liga games – and he was almost as prolific for Juventus, whom he joined in 2018. Ronaldo scored 81 Serie A goals in 98 appearances for the Turin giants before returning to United in 2021.
Things went well during his first season back in the Premier League, as Ronaldo scored an impressive 18 goals in 30 appearances during a challenging season for the Red Devils. However, he managed just one goal in the first half of this season and his contract was terminated in November after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Ronaldo’s four goals against Al-Wehda means he has scored five goals in his first three Saudi Pro League appearances. His overall tally of 503 means he is only behind Pele (604), Romario (544), Josef Bican (518) and Ferenc Puskas (514) on the all-time list of league goalscorers.
Cristiano Ronaldo awarded penalty by referee and then asks him to sign hat-trick ball
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr career is emphatically up and running after the ex-Manchester United striker scored four times in his side’s demolition of Al-Wehda in the Saudi Pro League
After an unusually low-key start to life in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr career has burst into life.
The 38-year-old had managed just one goal in his opening three competitive appearances in the country – with that solitary strike coming from the penalty spot. That was despite being signed to a staggering £173m-per-year contract following his Manchester United exit.
The expectations were that – even in the twilight of his legendary career – Ronaldo would dominate a significantly weaker level than he has been used to. But early signs suggested that wouldn’t be the case, with his team-mate Anderson Talisca taking much of the plaudits.
That all changed on Thursday however, with the Portuguese forward helping himself to a stunning four-goal haul during Al-Nassr’s demolition of Al-Wehda. Ronaldo’s side needed a win to move back to the top of the Saudi Pro League and achieved that with a convincing 4-0 victory.
Al-Nassr quickly asserted their dominance over the hosts and by the time Ronaldo’s opener came in the 21st minute, it was richly deserved. His clinical finish into the bottom corner was an historic strike for the ex-United star, bringing up his 500th league goal of his club career.
But it quickly became apparent he wouldn’t be resting on his laurels and after springing an errant offside trap, he made it 2-0 shortly before the break.
No longer showing signs of frustrations, Ronaldo was all smiles as he walked down the tunnel at half-time. And it only got better in the second 45 as he completed the 61st hat-trick of a spellbinding career.
His opportunity for a treble came after referee Sultan Al-Harbi was told to check the pitchside monitor for a potential handball in the area. And replays left the on-field official with little choice but to point to the spot, from which Ronaldo made no mistake.
He then made it 4-0 with his fourth of the night and fifth in two games when his tame shot was pawed back into his path by hapless Al-Wehda keeper Abdulquddus Atiah. His final goal was only awarded after a lengthy VAR check for a possible offside, as were all three of his goals from open play.
Ronaldo had one ruled out in his previous match, but managed to stay onside on each occasion this time around. Following the full-time whistle, for the 61st time Ronaldo approached the referee to grab his ball.
However, on this occasion, rather than take it straight to the dressing room, he requested referee Al-Harbi to sign it with his autograph. Considering it’s the first for his new club he will almost certainly keep the ball, referee signature and all.
Ronaldo handed hat-trick ball No.60 to ex-Man Utd team-mate Alejandro Garnacho ( Image: PA)
That’s in contrast from his historic 60th which he donated to former United team-mate Alejandro Garnacho. That treble came back in April of last year, when he scored three during a win away at Norwich City.
But rather than add it to his museum of trophies and souvenirs, he gave it to the Argentine teenager, who had quickly caught his eye. “He has been training with us the last two weeks and he is one of the most promising players,” Ronaldo said at the time.
He is only 17, but if he keeps his feet on the ground, he will not only be sitting on the bench but will be playing for this club.”
That prediction has proven spot on, with Garnacho now a regular for the Red Devils, helping in some part to fill the void left by his idol’s acrimonious Old Trafford departure.
Source: mirror.co.uk; mirror.co.uk
