By It was an easy day at the office for Al Nassr as it cliched a 3-1 win against Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo Brozovic and Alex Telles found the net for Al Nassr, while Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi was the lone goalscorer for Al Ettifaq.
The game started on a negative note as Ettifaq’s Hamed Al-Ghamdi had to be subbed off due to a head injury resulting from a clash of heads with Ali Lajami.
As expected, Al Nassr started to dominate proceedings once it found its groove, but Steven Gerrard’s men kept a compact backline to thwart attacks from the host.
AS IT HAPPENED: Al Nassr vs Al-Ettifaq highlights
The breakthrough came in the 43rd minute courtesy of some individual brilliance from Telles. Al Ettifaq tried to clear the ball, but a loose header saw the ball fall to the Brazilian fullback, who went for a first-time volley from outside the box to rattle the net.
Finishing the half with a 1-0 lead, Al Nassr started the second half in a similar fashion to how it ended the first, with its direct and attacking approach.
The pressure paid off, and Luis Castro’s men got their second in the 59th minute. Al Ettifaq again became a victim of its poor defending, allowing Ronaldo to head a loose ball to Brozovic inside the box, who found the net with a skilful finish.
Despite having an assist, Ronaldo’s desperation for a goal was evident. After failing to convert a couple of chances, the Portuguese finally had the chance in the 73rd minute after Mohammed Abdulrahamn Yousef blocked Sadio Mane’s cross with his hand, resulting in a penalty.
Stepping up to take the spot-kick, Ronaldo buried the ball in the bottom left corner. While Al Ettifaq keeper Paulo Victor guessed the right way, he could not get a hand to it.
Steven Gerrard’s men ended the match with some positivity after pulling a goal back courtesy of an 85th-minute strike by Kuwaykibi. But overall, it always remained second-best in all departments throughout the clash.
The win keeps Al Nassr in second with 40 points from 17 outings, while Al Ettifaq remains eighth with 24 points from 18 matches.
