Cristiano Ronaldo ended the year with more than positive numbers, but he didn’t start the year with a win. The Portuguese star’s one of the most solid records in the Saudi league was broken after Al Nasr lost for the first time this season against Al Ahly. The defeat not only ended the team’s unbeaten run, but also put the leadership in jeopardy, making things even worse on a night when the Portuguese’s performance had been highly questioned by his supporters.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix confront pitch intruders after defeat
Al Nasr lost their unbeaten record and dropped important points.
Al Nasr, who had been unbeaten in 11 matches, suffered their first setback when they lost 3-2 away to Al Ahly at King Abdullah Sports City. This result brought an end to the team’s good run in which they maintained their lead.
The home team took the lead with two goals from Ivan Toni, giving Al Ahly a 2-0 lead. However, Al Nasr fought back before the break with two goals from Abdulela Al Amri, leveling the score at 2-2 and restoring hope to the tournament leaders.
However, in the second half, when the game seemed open, the deciding blow came. In the 55th minute, Ivan Toni’s accurate cross was headed in by Melih Demiral to make it 3-2. The goal was enough to secure all three points for Al Ahly and end Al Nasr’s unbeaten record in the Saudi Pro League.
Cristiano Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes but failed to score or assist, an unusual situation for the team’s top attacking player.
The terrible mistake that led to Cristiano Ronaldo’s defeat
The match also left a striking image. Ronaldo lost control and squandered a clear chance to head towards goal. The play was quickly noted by fans and analysts as not typical of his behavior.
The Portuguese player was far from his usual excellence and was isolated by the harsh markings of the opposing defenders, but this was the key to Al Hilal securing all three points.
Despite the loss, Al Nasr remains in first place with 31 points. However, the pressure is mounting as Al Hilal have 29 points with one game in hand and could be overtaken in the standings if they win their next game.
