Topics: Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo, Saudi Pro League, Fan Reactions
Cristiano Ronaldo preceded his trademark goal celebration with a Sujud bow after steering Al Nassr to a vital win in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo fired home a stunning 59th minute winner on Tuesday night to complete a remarkable comeback that keeps the club’s title hopes alive.
A loss for Al Nassr would have all but ended their fight for the domestic crown, with current leaders narrowly defeating bottom club Al Batin 1-0.
And defeat looked to be on the cards as the Al Nassr found themselves 2-0 down after 40 minutes at home to third-placed Al Shabab, courtesy of a Cristian Guanca brace.
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However, Ronaldo and co. hit back almost instantly when Talisca halved the deficit on the stroke of half-time.
Six minutes after the break, Al Nassr were level after Abdulrahman Ghareeb found the net from close range. And, just before the hour mark, the turnaround was complete when the 38-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid star rolled back the years when he left two Al Shabab defenders in his wake before curling the ball home from the edge of the box to claim his 14th goal since moving to the Middle East after the World Cup.
Cue wild celebrations from the home fans, which were made all the more jubilant when Ronaldo performed a Sujud, the act of low bowing or prostration to Allah facing the qiblah (direction of the Kabba at Mecca).
The Portuguese goal machine then followed that up with his customary Siiuuu celebration.
“To be 2-0 down is very difficult but we believed until the end and scored three goals so congratulations to the team and the supporters who were amazing today,” he said after the game.
The result leaves Al Nassr three points adrift of Al Ittihad with two games remaining. It means the current leaders will need to slip up against either Al Feiha or Al Ta’ee for Ronaldo and his team to have any chance of becoming league champions.
Al Nassr’s face Ettifaq and Al Fateh in their final two fixtures.
