Al-Nassr snapped their first win in the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League with a resounding five-nil triumph against Al-Fateh on Friday evening.
A brace from Sadio Mane and a sensational hattrick from Cristiano Ronaldo ensured the Knights of Najd arrested their two-game losing streak in style.
With a significant investment in new talent during the summer transfer window, Luis Castro’s squad felt the pressure to bridge the gap with the early pacesetters – Al Ittihad and Al Ahli.
Debutant Otavio, formerly of FC Porto, came agonizingly close to opening the scoring when his effort narrowly missed the target.
However, it was Sadio Mane who began the onslaught when he ultimately broke the deadlock, courtesy of a delightful combination play with Cristiano Ronaldo, GOAL reports.
In the 27th minute, Ronaldo provided a sublime backheel pass to Mane, who finished the move with exceptional skill.
This goal served as a catalyst for last season’s runners-up, who further extended their lead through their captain. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner capitalized on a perfectly placed cross to double his side’s lead.
Ronaldo would go on to score his second goal of the match, effectively increasing the visitors’ lead, as he confidently tapped in a pass from Abdulrahman Ghareeb just ten minutes into the second half.
The 38-year-old’s goal somewhat saw Al-Nassr take their foot off the pedal as Al-Fateh threatened to reduce the deficit. However, a swift counterattack led to Sadio Mane netting his second goal of the game, thwarting Al-Fateh’s comeback hopes.
Cristiano completed the demolition exercise with his third, sealing his hat trick with a simple tap-in in stoppage time, per Sportstar.
This impressive victory elevated the reigning Arab Cup champions from a relegation position to 11th place on matchday three. Their next challenge awaits them at home, where they will face Al-Shabab on August 29th.
Ronaldo’s cheeky assist
Sports Brief also reported that Cristiano Ronaldo produced a sublime skill to assist Sadio Mane’s opener for Al-Nassr against Al Fateh on Friday evening.
In a video shared on Twitter, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner came up with a sensational backheel pass for Mane to latch onto as the two superstars quickly developed a telepathic understanding on the pitch.
