RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo struck a brace as Al Nassr defeated Al Shabab 4-0 and secured its second win in the Saudi Pro League in Riyadh on Tuesday night.
The Portuguese got things underway in the 13th minute as he converted from the spot after a handball in the Al Shabab penalty area. He added to his tally five minutes later with a header only for the goal to be disallowed for a push on a defender.
But Ronaldo had his second in the 36th minute after Iago Cuellar brought him down in the penalty area, allow-ing the Al Nassr captain to double the lead.
He then set up the team’s third with a pass from the centre to the right of the Al Shabab penalty area for Sadio Mane. The Senegalese slotted the ball home with a sliding finish.
Ronaldo could have had a second hattrick in as many games but he offered the penalty which came Al Nassr’s way in the 63th minute to Abdulrahman Ghareeb. The winger struck the post and failed to adda fourth.
Al Shabab’s talismanic midfielder Ever Banega was sent off for a lunge on Aymeric Laporte in the 80th minute which saw the side finish the game with 10 men.
The home team’s wait for a fourth goal ended a minute later when Sultan Al Ghanam was at the right place to drill a rebound off a save from the opposition keeper into the goal. Agencies
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