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Updated : Nov 25, 2023 03:03 IST
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Soccer Football – Saudi Pro League – Al Nassr v Al Okhdood – Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – November 24, 2023 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Al Okhdood's Solomon Kvirkvelia REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri | Photo Credit: Ahmed Yosri
Cristiano Ronaldo, after Portugal’s perfect Euro 2024 qualification campaign, will be back for Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League match against Al Okhdood at Al-Awwal Park Stadium.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace helps Al Nassr beat Al Okhdood 3-0 in Saudi Pro League
Al Nassr 3-0 Al Okhdood. Its all over at Al Awwal Park. Ronaldo’s brace takes The Knights of Njad within a point of league leader Al Hilal.
Al Okhdood is looking for a consolation goal but AL Nassr goalkeeper Al-Najjar is desperate for a clean sheet.
90 minutes are up, the officials have added four minutes.
It’s all AL Nassr at the moment, since the second goal, the visiting side has hardly string together a couple of passes. Brozovic is dictating the play since coming on, his experience helped the home side to put the game to bed.
Ronaldo miscues his shot from the edge of the box. His teammates looks eager to help him in his chase for another hat-trick.
Ronaldo finds Otavio with a wicked cross but the Portuguese’s cut back is deflected away by Al Okhdood defence.
Al Okhdood is now going all out but can’t deal with the quality of Al Nassr.
A deft chip from over 35 yards away. Ronaldo on hat-trick. Al Okhdood come out of the box to tackle an onrushing Al Nassr forward, the ball falls on the feat of Ronaldo, who chips the ball high and scores a absolute beauty.
Ronaldo give Al Nassr 2-0 lead from an acute angle. At the age of 38, the Portuguese is still one of the most dangerous strikers inside the box. His fierce strike from the right arrows into the left bottom corner.
Vitor denies Ronaldo. Its a corner for Al Nassr.
Ronaldo score a beauty but the goal doesn’t count as he is off side.
Ronaldo goes down inside the box, Al Nassr appeals for a penalty. The referee is unmoved.
Al Nassr creates an intricate move but overcooks it inside the box and gives the ball away.
Vitor the sweeper-keeper. The Al Okhdood goalkeeper come out of his box to clear a ball.
Godwin fails to put in a cross and the AL Nassr defenders clears the ball. Al Okhdood is threatening to silent the home crowd.
Al Okhdood is still in the game, the visiting side is starting to worry Al Nassr with its resolute defence and speed in attack.
Al Nassr is looking to put the game to bed with a second goal but is struggling to find a killer ball in final third.
Ronaldo rolls back the years. He takes the defender to the byline and then beats him with a brilliant turn and then shifts the ball to the right and attempts a curler from the a tight angle that goes just over the cross bar. The crowd goes wild.
Al Zabdani’s cross almost humiliates Al Nassr goalkeeper Al-Najjar, who was scrambling. Fortunately for the home side, the overcooked cross goes just over the cross bar. Relief for Al-Najjar and the passionate home supporters.
Ronaldo comes close to score but hits sidenet from a tight angle.
Fifana looks unhappy after coming off for the etxperienced Brozovic.
Al Nassr overplays the ball and concedes procession.
Otavio’s chip is just behind Ronaldo inside the box. The Portuguese duo combining well for the home side.
Vitor came in to collect a corner but misses it completely, fortunately for the home side, the ball somehow manages to miss Al Nassr players lurking on the far post.
Telles delivers an excellent cross from the left flank, it is headed away by the Al Okhdood defender. It is a corner for Al Nassr.
Al Okhdood looks to assert its physicality on the home side from the very start of second half.
Match resumes at Al-Awwal Park. Ronaldo and Co looks to extend its lead.
It’s half time at Al-Awwl Park. NAS 1-0 OKD.
Al Nassr dominated the match for the first 30 minutes and took a timely lead at 13th minute from a brilliant team move. However, the visiting side has grown into the match in the last last quarter and knocked on Al Nassr’s goal. Ronaldo and Telisca came close to extent the home side’s lead.
The game is beautifully poised at the moment.
Stay tuned for the second half.
AL Nassr’s Fofana has been instrumental in the first half. He along with Otavio have dictated the tempo of the match.
Al Okhdood comes close to equalising but referee blows the whistle for off side.
Regulation time up, match officials have indicated four minutes of added time.
Ghareeb is hurt after a bad fall while clearing the corner. He’s getting treatment. Luis Castro and Ronaldo discussing in the break.
Okhdood is looking for its speedy wingers, mostly in the left flank and gets a corner.
Telisca’s scorpion kick goes wide. A spectacular effort by the Brazilian, his volley from inside the ball doesn’t hit the target but it has certainly raised volume levels at Al-Awwal Park.
The away side has grown into the game in the last 15 minutes. However, Al Nassr is still threatening to add to its lead.
Okhdood stitches another brilliant counter-attack but fails to capitalise.
Okhdood striker Tawamba also goes into the referee’s book for a foul on Otavio.
Al Okhdood has grown into the game, now, it has pinned Al Nassr in its own box. A free kick has been awarded to the visitors.
The referee says no penalty. It is an off side.
Okhdood is seeing more of the ball and have raiding Al Nassr box but the final ball is missing in its play. A VAR check is on for a potential penalty for the visiting side. The referee is asked to go to the screen.
Al Okhdood’s Tanase gets the first yellow card of the match.
Collado takes the first shot on goal for the visiting side but it is straight to Al Nassr goalkeeper Al-Najjar.
Al Okhdood’s left-winger Godwin is causing some trouble for the home side with his speed but the Al Nassr defence is unmoved.
Ronaldo thumps the ground in pain after an awkward fall. However, the Al Nassr skipper is up and ready to continue.
Al-Najei’s powerful shot is saved by Vitor. It could’ve been two for the midfielder inside the first half.
Ronaldo’s cross from the right flank is punched away by Vitor.
Al Nassr is controlling the tempo of the match. Ronaldo is continuously dropping deep to combine with the midfield. Al Okhdood is struggling to get hold of the ball.
Al Nassr scores on the 13th minute. Sami Al-Najei’s tap in gives Al Nassr lead. He scores his first ever Saudi pro league goal for the club.
A bit of sloppy passing gifted Al Okhdood a counter-attacking opportunity, however, Al Nassr’s defence reedems itself and put the ball out of the danger zone.
Eight minutes gone and its all Al Nassr as the Knights of Najd have pinned their opponents in their own box. Looking like it is going to be a very busy night for Al Okhdood’s Brazilian goalkeeper Vitor.
Otavio’s awakward cross is tipped over by the Al Okhdood goalkeeper Vitor for a corner.
Ronaldo shoots from the edge of the box, his right-footed curler goes tantalizing wide.
Al Okhdood tries its first attack of the match but ii is mopped by the Al Nassr defence.
Al Okhdood is seeting back and looking for counter-attacking opportunities.
Al Nassr looks to keep the ball in the early stages. Telisca’s shot from the edge of the box goes way over the bar.
Referee blows the whistle at Al-Awwal Park, the match is underway.
P.Vitor (GK)
S. Aklyami
A. Burca
S. Kvirkve
A. Khamis
Al Zabdani
A. Collado
S. Pedroza
F. Tanase
S. Godwin
L. Tawamba
AL Nassr is the highest-scoring side in the Saudi Pro League this season with a goal tally of 36.
Al Okhdood is the lowest-scoring side in the Saudi Pro League this season with a goal tally of just 10.
The Cristiano Ronaldo-led side has scored at least one goal in its last 18 games across all competitions.
Al Okhdood is without a clean sheet in its last nine games across all competitions.
Al-Nassr has conceded eight goals in six home games.
Luis Castro’s side is currently on an 11-game unbeaten streak in the Saudi top flight.
Al-Nassr has won seven games on the trot leading up to this game and is undefeated in its last 18 games across all competitions. The Knights of Njad has lost just once at Al-Awwal Pak this season and is likely to rack up its 11 league win of the season.
Meanwhile, Al Okhdood’s last match ended its run of four consecutive league defeats and will now be looking to build on that. However, it has lost three of its last four away matches and could see defeat today as well.
Predicted result: Al-Nassr 3-0 Al Okhdood
Al Nassr: Al-Aqidi; Al-Ghannam, Al-Amri, Al-Fatil, Telles; Fofana, Brozovic; Talisca, Otavio, Mane; Ronaldo
Al Okhdood: Vitor; Al Zabdani, Al-Rubaie, Kvirkvelia, Burca, Ricardo; Collado, Pedroza, Tanase, Godwin; Tawamba
Cristiano Ronaldo’s AL Nassr will host Al Okhdood in the Saudi Pro League at Al-Awwal Park Stadium.
The Portuguese forward will lead his club after guiding his nation to a perfect Euro 2024 qualification campaign. Al Nassr which is second on the league table with 31 points from 13 matches is chasing Neymar’s Al Hilal, which seats at top of the league with 35 points.
On the other hand, Al Akhdoud won its last match after a string of defeats that the club at the bottom of the 18 team league. The Jorge Mendonca-led side will look to pull off a major upset and derail Al Nassr’s title surge.
Al Nassr: W-W-W-W-D
Al Okhdood: W-L-L-L-L
The Al Nassr vs Al Okhdood Saudi Pro League match will kick-off at 11:30 PM IST, Friday, October 24, at Al-Awwal Park Stadium.
The match can also be live-streamed on the Sony LIV app and website.
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