AL-HASA, Saudi Arabia: Finally, it happened. In an action-packed game, after having a goal disallowed, hitting the woodwork and missing a great chance, Cristiano Ronaldo finally scored for Al-Nassr with a stoppage time penalty that secured a 2-2 draw at Al-Fateh and sent them back to the top of the Roshn Saudi League.
It was the Portuguese international’s first competitive goal for the club since his move to Riyadh.
The five-time UEFA Champions League winner had a busy evening at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium and it ended on a high.
New signing Cristian Tello put Al-Fateh in front in style early in the game, but Anderson Talisca, who was sent off in the final minutes, equalized just before the break for goal number 13 of the season so far. In the second half, Algerian star Sofiane Bendebka volleyed home another scorcher to restore Al-Fateh’s lead, only for Ronaldo to dash home team hopes.
As an advertisement for Saudi Arabian football, it had everything: fantastic goals, near misses, a red card and drama that kept a big crowd entertained right until the final whistle. They also had the question of whether Ronaldo, playing his third competitive game in the country, would get on the scoresheet.
The former Real Madrid star looked like he meant business from the start as Al-Nassr dominated the opening period, but it was ex-Barcelona forward Tello who put Al-Fateh in front with a beauty after 12 minutes of his first appearance.
Al-Nassr’s new on-loan goalkeeper Agustin Rossi punched a cross outside the area, but there was Tello, who joined the club in January, to send a looping volley back over the Argentine shot-stopper and into the net.
Ronaldo thought he had levelled the scores after 24 minutes. Receiving the ball from Talisca with his back to goal, the Portuguese star flicked the ball up, turned beautifully and then sent a low shot in off the post. It was immediately, and rightly, flagged for offside by the assistant referee.
He missed an easier chance 10 minutes later. Talisca’s low shot from the left side of the area was brilliantly tipped on to the post by Jacob Rinne only to rebound to Ronaldo, standing unmarked just to the right of the penalty spot. The away fans in the stadium got ready to erupt only for the 37 year-old to blast the ball over.
Three minutes before the break, Talisca made it 1-1. The Brazilian, the league’s leading goalscorer, found some space to receive a low left-sided cross from Ghislain Konan to drill the ball past the Swedish shotstopper.
There was still time in the first half for Ronaldo to hit the bar. Abdulrahmeen Gahreeb slipped the ball to the captain in the area and while it was slightly behind him, fans again expected the net to ripple. Instead, the ex-Manchester United man found only the woodwork. The frustration that the five-time Ballon D’or winner felt was there for all to see.
It looked as if the nine-time champions would take the lead sooner or later in the second half, but Al-Fateh did so, once again against the run of play and once again, it was a spectacular strike and one made in North Africa. Bendebka volleyed home a deep left-sided cross from Morocco’s Marwane Saadane high into the net from the back post. Rossi had no chance.
Al-Nassr had plenty of possession but struggled to create clear chances, though, late on, a Talisca volley forced a great reaction save from Rinne as Ronaldo took issue with what he saw as time-wasting from the home team and received a booking in the last minute of normal time as tempers boiled over.
He got his chance for revenge seconds later as the referee pointed to the spot when Jaloliddin Mashiparov was brought down in the area. He stepped up to give Rinne no chance. There were still seven minutes of added time, but hopes of a late winner were dashed when Talisca saw red for a rash tackle on Petros.
On Thursday, Al-Shabab went top temporarily with a 2-1 win over Damac, thanks to early goals from Santi Mina and Carlos. Al-Taawoun won 1-0 at bottom club Al-Batin to stay well-placed in fifth, just four points off the top.
Al-Hilal in third are in FIFA Club World Cup action on Saturday as the Asian champions face African counterparts Wydad AC of Morocco. Al-Ittihad can go level on points with Al-Shabab with a win against Al-Tai on Sunday.
Ronaldo scores first goal for Al-Nassr to salvage a late point against Al-Fateh
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Ronaldo scores first goal for Al-Nassr to salvage a late point against Al-Fateh
- Stoppage time penalty secures a 2-2 draw that sends the Riyadh club back to the top of the Roshn Saudi League table
- The five-time UEFA Champions League winner had a busy evening at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium and it ended on a high
Arsenal get title boost as Man City and Villa both drop points
- Second-placed City remain five points behind Arsenal who can stretch the lead to eight if they beat Liverpool on Thursday
- Third-placed Villa are also five behind after they could only draw 0-0 in a dour contest at Crystal Palace
- Antoine Semenyo gave Bournemouth fans a farewell gift before his expected move to Manchester City, scoring in stoppage time to give his side a 3-2 victory at home against Tottenham
LONDON: Arsenal’s Premier League title prospects were enhanced without them even kicking a ball on Wednesday as their closest challengers Manchester City and Aston Villa both dropped points.
Erling Haaland scored his 150th goal for City as he put them in front against Brighton and Hove Albion from the penalty spot but Kaoru Mitoma equalized for the visitors on the hour with the game finishing 1-1.
It was the third successive draw for stuttering City who were held by Sunderland on New Year’s Day and by Chelsea at the weekend when they also conceded an equalizer.
“The result is the result. I’m not a person who believes what we have done isn’t fair,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
Second-placed City remain five points behind Arsenal who can stretch the lead to eight if they beat Liverpool on Thursday.
Third-placed Villa are also five behind after they could only draw 0-0 in a dour contest at Crystal Palace, Ollie Watkins going closest for Villa with a late effort against the woodwork.
Chelsea’s new manager Liam Rosenior watched on in the stands at Craven Cottage as his new club went down 2-1 at Fulham after having Marc Cucurella sent off midway through the first half.
Raul Jimenez gave Fulham the lead and although Liam Delap equalized for the visitors, Harry Wilson sealed the points for Fulham. Defeat left Chelsea down in eighth place.
Sesko scores twice
Two days after sacking manager Ruben Amorim, Manchester United could only draw 2-2 at 19th-placed Burnley.
Benjamin Sesko scored twice for United, doubling his tally for the season, but it was not enough to give caretaker manager Darren Fletcher a win as Jaidon Anthony’s equalizer earned Burnley a point. United slipped to seventh.
Brentford moved into fifth spot as Brazilian striker Igor Thiago followed up his hat-trick at the weekend against Everton with two goals in a 3-0 home victory over Sunderland to take his league tally for the season to 16.
“He’s a complete center forward,” said Brentford manager Keith Andrews. “I wouldn’t be swapping him for anybody.”
Newcastle United trailed three times in a thriller at home to Leeds United but emerged with an astonishing 4-3 victory to move into the top six thanks to a last-gasp goal by Harvey Barnes after Bruno Guimaraes had equalized for the hosts from the penalty spot in the 91st minute.
Barnes’s goal arrived in the 102nd minute, the latest winning goal in Premier League history.
Bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers’ recent upturn continued with a 1-1 draw at Everton.
Everton ended the game with nine men after Michael Keane, who scored their goal, and Jack Grealish were both sent off late on — Keane for an apparent hair pull on Tolu Arokodare.
‘No man deserves it more’
Antoine Semenyo gave Bournemouth fans a farewell gift before his expected move to Manchester City, scoring in stoppage time to give his side a 3-2 victory at home against Tottenham Hotspur, his side’s first win in 12 league games.
“That was the type of stuff you write in movies and no man deserves it more than him,” Marcus Tavernier said of his soon-to-be former teammate.
Semenyo illustrated just why City are prepared to pay £65 million ($87.46 million) for his services with a curling shot past Guglielmo Vicario sparking wild celebrations.
City have won the title six times in the last eight seasons but their hopes of reclaiming it after being dethroned by Liverpool last season are beginning to look forlorn.
They produced a lacklustre attacking display against Brighton but Haaland’s penalty, after a foul by Diego Gomez on Jeremy Doku, looked like earning them a victory that would have put some pressure on leaders Arsenal.
But Brighton struck back as Mitoma guided in an equalizer from the edge of the penalty area.
Haaland should have won it for City late on, but fired a shot straight at Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen.
To make matters worse for City, Guardiola said Savinho will be out for two months with an injury, adding to an absentee list that also includes defenders Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones.
