“What a screamer; Absolutely stunning”- Fans hail Cristiano Ronaldo’s 59th direct free kick goal, first for Al-Nassr
Ronaldo's incredible free-kick takes his scoring tally to nine
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Al-Nassr won 2-1 against Abha after a stunning freekick from the captain Cristiano Ronaldo and a penalty converted by Anderson Talisca to secure all three points. The club keeps its title hopes alive with this win and is just one point off the top with stiff competition from rivals Al-Ittihad and Al-Shabab.
The Portuguese drilled the freekick down the bottom left corner from well over 35 yards out, with the goalkeeper having no chance. The goal boosted the team morale to get away with the win after falling one behind in the first half. With this, the Portuguese superstar now has nine goals in nine matches for Al-Nassr and is set to be in the top scorers’ chart.
Abha has failed to win their last seven matches and is currently six points off the relegation zone. They will have a satisfactory campaign if they continue this and avoid the Saudi second division with nine matches at stake.
Al-Nassr faces Al-Adalah next in the Saudi Pro League on March 5, with a crucial three points at stake if they are to still keep their title hopes alive. With just nine games remaining, they wouldn’t want to bottle their chances and look to win their first title since 2018.
What is Saudi Arabia’s motive after bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo?
Interest in the Saudi Pro League has grown rapidly since Ronaldo completed a move to Al Nassr at the start of the year and is keen for more high-profile footballers to follow. Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s long-time rival, is linked with a move to Saudi Arabia when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in the summer.
Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz claims 137 channels around the world are now broadcasting the Saudi Pro League due to Ronaldo’s arrival. The government is subsidizing a lot of the budgets for the clubs to participate on a high level to make sure to have good viewership and good football for people to grow that industry in the kingdom.
The country sets to boost its footballing image with the arrival of two of the best players in the world and compete with top leagues in case of both quality football and financial revenues.
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Arpan Ghosh
(1403 Articles Published)