Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure as Al-Nassr’s title ambitions effectively went up in smoke after a woeful 3-1 loss to Al-Raed.
Al Raed emerged victorious against Al Nassr with a 3-1 scoreline, to the surprise of many fans. The match, played at Al-Awwal Park Stadium, saw a stellar performance from Al Raed as they secured 13th spot in the league Standing table.
The first half started off with both teams vying for possession. However, it was Al Raed who made the most of their opportunities. In the 18th minute, Karim El Berkaouli opened the scoring for Al Raed with a powerful strike, sending the home fans into a frenzy. The Al Nassr tried to fight back and in the 24th minute, Ayman Ahmed managed to score a goal for Al Nassr, giving their fans a glimmer of hope.
As the second half kicked off, Al Raed continued their dominance on the pitch. In the 46th minute, Mohammed Fouzair confirmed their lead with an impressive goal, putting Al Nassr in a difficult position. Al Nassr, on the other hand, struggled to find their rhythm and were unable to break through Al Raed’s solid defense.
However, Al Raed was not done yet. In the 87th minute, Amir Sayoud scored a stunning goal, sealing the victory for the away team and leaving the Al Nassr fans disappointed. The statistics of the game showed that Al Nassr had a whopping 71% possession, while Al Raed only had 29%, raising questions about where Al Nassr’s possession was directed towards.
However, the question that arises is where the possession of Al Nassr was directed towards if they were unable to find the back of the net. With such dominance on the field, the home team should have capitalized on their opportunities and converted them into goals.
It is easier to deduce that the team possession all flew with shots off target. Al Nassr had 10 shots off target and only 3 on target, while Al Raed managed to convert 3 of their 5 shots on target into goals.
It was simply not Ronaldo’s night. And it wasn’t Al-Nassr’s, either. The 39-year-old had plenty of opportunities to stamp his authority in the match but it was not meant to be. The Portuguese was not only denied by the woodwork on two occasions but also, quite uncharacteristically, failed to guide his headers into the net, the sort which are usually bread and butter for the striker. But without a shred of doubt, Al-Raed’s victory was well deserved on the night.
The defeat was a tough blow for Al Nassr, who now stands in position 2 with 53 points second from Al Hilal with a point difference of 9. Football enthusiasts eagerly await the upcoming matches to witness more gripping performances from the teams.