 "Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer in the world. Image: Ronaldo/X")
Cristiano Ronaldo once again proved why he is still considered one of the best in the game as he scored twice for Al Nassr to inspire a crucial 2-1 comeback win over Al Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday night. His performance kept the team’s title hopes alive. After the match, Al Nassr head coach Stefano Pioli responded to the Portuguese legend’s critics.
Playing at home, Al Nassr were dominant in the first half but trailed at the break after Al Riyadh took the lead just before halftime. Despite the setback, Al Nassr came out with renewed intent after the restart. In the 55th minute, Sadio Mane passed the ball perfectly across the goal, and Ronaldo was right there to tap it in easily and score the equaliser.
What followed just nine minutes later was a moment of sheer brilliance. After an initial clearance from an Al Riyadh defender, the ball fell to Ronaldo at the edge of the box. The 40-year-old fired a first-time volley without hesitation that rocketed into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance. The strike sealed three points for the hosts.
Thanks to the victory, Al Nassr remain third in the Saudi Pro League standings with 57 points, just one behind arch-rivals Al Hilal. However, league leaders Al Ittihad are still seven points clear, with only nine games remaining.
Pioli defends Ronaldo amid growing criticism
In his post-match press conference, head coach Stefano Pioli took the opportunity to silence doubters questioning Ronaldo’s performance.
“Cristiano Ronaldo helped us build this team as the leader of the group. I can’t talk about his performance on the field — what you saw today is the best response to his critics,” Pioli was quoted as saying by The Nassr Zone.
“It was a complicated match and we didn’t achieve all our objectives. But it’s good that we created so many opportunities. We’ll keep working and improving, with the ambition to win every match for our fans,” he added.
Ronaldo’s brace took his tally to seven goals in the last five matches across all competitions. Meanwhile, Al Nassr will now hope for slip-ups at the top of the Saudi Pro League points table to keep their title dream alive.