For the whole of the campaign, GOAL will be evaluating the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s displays in Saudi Arabia
Despite the influx of new signings in the Saudi Pro League over the summer, there is still one player fans want to see in action more than any other: Cristiano Ronaldo. Having arrived at Al-Nassr in January, the Portuguese superstar is ready to embark on a full campaign with the club for the first time.
Ronaldo and his new team came up short in the title race last season, and so he will be determined not to let that happen again. Factor in the famous faces that have now joined him in the league who will be aiming to outshine the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, and Ronaldo should be even more keen to ensure he remains top dog in his new home.
GOAL is here, then, to ensure you don’t miss out on any of Ronaldo’s displays during his first full season in the Middle East, as we will be casting our eye over and giving an evaluation on how he fares in each of his outings in 2023-24.
Check out our latest grades below, and let us know what you think in the comments section
September 2: Al-Hazm 1-5 Al-Nassr, Pro League
Ronaldo was central to just about everything good for Nassr against Hazm, as they recorded a big win.
The first half was without a degree of fluidity for Nassr, but Ronaldo played a key role in the opening goal. Collecting the ball around 30 yards from goal, he drove at the Hazm defence and slid the ball through to Abdulrahman Ghareeb, who finished coolly. It was his fourth assist in four games.
Nassr added a second when Abdullah Al-Khaibari volleyed home from a corner; Ronaldo watched on as he finished at the back post.
Hazm pulled a goal back after the restart but the Portugal superstar was in no mood to allow a comeback.
First, he assisted Otavio for the third goal, squaring to the winger for a tap-in from inside the six-yard box. Ronaldo then scored the fourth himself, getting on the end of some neat interplay in the penalty box and slamming the ball into the top corner.
Sadio Mane added a fifth, with Ronaldo again involved in the build-up.
It was a sparkling performance from the Nassr skipper, who shows no signs of slowing down in the Pro League. Grade: A+
August 29: Al-Nassr 4-0 Al-Shabab, Pro League
Late-career Ronaldo has functioned like this for some time. He spent most of his time making runs or drifting out wide, but seldom got involved in play. Still, the few touches he had were clinical – and emphatic.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner hadn’t had a kick when he was sent to the penalty spot after 12 minutes. And the result was as expected, with Al-Nassr’s captain sending the keeper the wrong way with a cool finish.
Ronaldo was unfortunate not to have a second just a few minutes later, seeing a towering header from a corner unluckily ruled out for what was adjudged to be a foul as the delivery came in. But the third time he hit the net, the goal stood. Ronaldo buried his second of the night just before the half, converting again from the penalty spot to give his side a 2-0 lead.
He was involved in the third Al-Nassr goal, too, feeding Mane, who beat goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu at his near post to establish a 3-0 lead. The Portuguese could have buried his third penalty of the night soon after the break but handed the ball to Abdulrahman Ghareeb, who clanged the spot-kick off the post.
Fans will likely be disappointed that Ronaldo didn’t grab his second successive hat-trick, but by the time Al-Nassr went up 4-0, he was simply having fun. Out came the back heels, flicks and stepovers. This wasn’t the most ruthless version of Ronaldo. Nor was it really the best. But he scored twice, and his team won 4-0 against a local rival. It’s hard to ask for more
August 25: Al-Fateh 0-5 Al-Nassr, Pro League
This was Ronaldo in his element. The 38-year-old was firing on all cylinders. Pushing forward as a direct goal threat when he saw the opportunity or making the sensible pass to link up with his team-mates, he was impossible for the home team to handle here.
His assist for the opening goal was classic CR7. The ball was played straight to him and he knew exactly what to do – instantly backheeling it into the path of Sadio Mane. The timing and the weight were perfect and the Senegal star could not fail to find the net.
Almost immediately afterwards, Ronaldo forced his way into a great position to score, only to send his effort wide. He would not have to wait long to get his goal, though, as he was perfectly placed to leap into the air and nod Sultan Al-Ghannam’s cross into the net to make it 2-0.
The ex-Real Madrid and Manchester United star did not stop there, though. He kept pushing and was side by side with Abdulrahman Ghareeb, who played it beyond the goalkeeper and found Ronaldo to slot into the open goal to make it 3-0.
He even played a vital role in Al-Nassr’s fourth goal – charging towards the defence and sucking them into his orbit before he knocked it wide to Ghareeb, whose cross found Mane’s head and bounced in.
Ronaldo wasn’t done there, however. He snuck into the box, free of his marker and was fed through before burying into the bottom corner to complete his treble. Grade: A
August 22: Al-Nassr 4-2 Shabab Al-Ahli, AFC Champions League
For a long time, it looked like being one of those nights for Ronaldo.
Against Shabab Al-Ahli, he saw three penalty shouts turned down in the first half alone. One of them was a stonewall spot kick, with the opposition defender quite clearly using his hand to block the forward’s spectacular, goalbound volley.
It resembled something you might see in volleyball, but the referee remained unmoved, much to Ronaldo’s disgust. This bizarre decision threatened to headline another hugely frustrating night, but, led by Ronaldo, Al-Nassr recovered their composure to triumph in the tie.
Unlike against Al-Taawoun the previous week, the Portuguese legend put in a solid performance in his side’s AFC Champions League play-off. Yes, he did miscue the odd chance, but by and large he desperately tried to pull his side out of the mire.
And he got his just rewards at the death, laying on the assist for Marcelo Brozovic’s game-clinching goal in second-half stoppage time.
August 18: Al-Nassr 0-2 Al-Taawoun, Pro League
As Ronaldo was slipped through in the dying stages of Al-Nassr’s clash with Al-Taawoun, it seemed he was going to redeem himself after an underwhelming evening in Riyadh. Instead, he saw his close-ranged effort cannon back of the inside of the post. And, to add insult to injury, a few moments later the offside flag was raised.
This summed up a torrid night for Ronaldo and Co, as they slipped to a second shock defeat in four days. After missing the game against Al-Ettifaq through injury, Al-Nassr’s star attraction would have been desperate to get the season back on track.
But he ended up being a hindrance to his team. It’s debatable whether he should have even played. He certainly didn’t look fit, often well off the pace of his side’s attacks and was caught offside several times. He took out his frustrations on the officials at regular intervals, but this defeat had little to do with the referee.
There’s still plenty of time for Ronaldo’s side to turn things around, but with an AFC Champions League play-off to come before their next league clash against Al-Fateh, things do not get any easier in the coming week. Grade: D-
Source from https://www.goal.com/en-my/lists/cristiano-ronaldo-al-nassr-every-performance-graded-saudi-pro-league-2023-24/blt9a0cc37f66036c82#cs0e12fb6a0b6e33f1
