In a closely contested game, Al Nassr defeated Al Fatec 2-1. With the result, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, who is 49, remains on the heels of leader Al-Hilal who will still play in the round. Cristiano Ronaldo’s team created more chances in the first half, but only took two shots in the first half. […]
17 fev
2024
– 16h22
(updated at 4:22 pm)
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating Al Nassr’s goal
Photo: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images / Esporte News Mundo
In a closely contested game, Al Nassr defeated Al Fatec 2-1. With the result, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, who is 49, remains on the heels of leader Al-Hilal who will still play in the round.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s team created more chances in the first half, but only got two shots on target, Luís Castro’s team opened the scoring at 16 with Cristiano Ronaldo, Bilic’s men equalized at 28, with Salem Al Najdi. While Slaven Bilic’s men loosened up as the game went on, and explored plays in quick transitions and crosses. At the beginning of the second half, Al Fatec started better and created more chances. While Al Nassr grew as the second stage took place. The winning goal for the CR7 team was scored by naturalized Brazilian Otávio, in the 29th minute of the final stage.
Game
Cristiano Ronaldo’s team started the game with most of the ball possession, reaching more than 60% of the ball possession in the first 10 minutes of the opening half. Five minutes later, at 15, after a quick move, Anderson Talisca finished wide. Croatian coach Slaven Bilic’s Al Fatec tried to defend itself and exploit counterattacks.
The pressure from the team led by Luís Castro worked, and at 16, Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for the home team after a quick play on the right, Sulhan Al-Ghannam crossed low for CR7 to finish low into the goalkeeper’s left corner. His thirty-second goal this season. 12 minutes later, at 28, Al Fatec equalized, with their first shot on target in the game, after a free kick from the Argentinian naturalized Armenian, Lucas Zelarayan on the right was cleared by the Al Nassr defense, Salem Al Najdi caught it beautifully from outside from the area and tied the match. Al Nassr had to make a substitution after goalkeeper Al-Najjar was unable to continue in the game, and Waleed Abdullah was replaced.
After conceding the draw, Al-Nassr went on the attack trying to get back in front of the scoreboard, at 30, after a free kick, CR7 headed it out without danger to the opponent’s goal. Three minutes later, the Portuguese star had another chance, which also failed to hit the target with his header. Two minutes later, a pass between Cristiano and Sadio Mané led to a corner in which the Portuguese star headed off target again. Al Fatec created a chance in this period, when Spanish Cristian Tello had his shot from outside the box blocked.
The first half’s stoppage time was hectic, at 45, Cristiano Ronaldo headed wide. Four minutes later, at 49, Brozovic finished from outside the area and forced Norwegian Jacob Rinne to make a good save. At 51, Lucas Zelarayan forced goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah to make a good save after Cristian Tello’s play on the right.
The visitors started the second half better, after two minutes, after Cristian Tello’s play on the left, the ball fell to Cape Verdean Djaniny who hit the left post of the goal saved by Waleed Abdullah, after which the goalkeeper saved Lucas Zelarayan’s shot. Five minutes later, at seven, Batna received a yellow card for simulation. At 13, Tello forced Abdullah to make another good save. A minute later Anderson Talisca forced Rinne to make a simple save. Two minutes later, Brozovic hit from outside the area and the Norwegian saved twice. At 24, after a move by Mané on the left, it ended in a submission from Talisca, who went over Rinne. Al Fatec made their second move at 22, with Cape Verdean striker Djaniny coming out for midfielder Al-Hassan.
At 26, after a quick move, Sultan Al-Ghannam crossed from the left at mid-height and Otávio dove in and headed the ball into the back of the goal. Three minutes later, at 29, Anderson Talisca forced Rinne to make a great save. Ten minutes later, Al Nassr made their second substitution of the game, with Sultan Al-Ghannam coming off and making way for defender Al-Amri.
Both teams created little in the final minutes. At 45, coach Slaven Bilic made his third substitution with midfielder Bendebka leaving for defender Lajami.
Five minutes later, it was Al Nassr’s turn to move, with Otávio leaving and Al-Najei joining. The best chance in this period of the match happened after CR7 was called inside the area and a defender took it over the line.
With the victory, Al Nassr remains in second place, now with 47 points, after 20 games played, one game less than the leader Al-Hilal who will still play in the round. In their next game, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team will play at home against Al-Fayha in the Asian Champions League.
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