Al Hilal Lift the Saudi Super Cup as They Thrash Al Nassr Four Goals to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Solitary Goal
A solitary goal from Cristiano Ronaldo was not enough to secure silverware for Al Nassr as defending Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal claimed the Super Cup by defeating Al Nassr 4-1 on Saturday.
The first half was largely uneventful until the 44th minute when Cristiano Ronaldo struck to make it 1-0, with Abdulrahman Ghareeb claiming the assist. Al Hilal went into half-time a goal behind and came back determined to get back in the game.
Ten minutes into the second half, Sergej Milinković-Savić equalised for Al Hilal with a powerful shot after a driving run from deep in midfield. From that point on, Al Hilal were the dominant team, commanding 56% of the ball the entire match. They were more assured in passing as well with an 85% pasing accuracy compared to Al Nassr’s 76%.
Minutes later, Al Nassr completely collapsed, with Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring twice in six minutes (the 63rd and 69th minute) to make it 3-1. Brazilian Malcom capped off a dominant evening with the last goal of the game in the 72nd minute to put the game’s result beyond salvaging for Al Nassr.
Al Nassr’s performance, especially in the second half, exposed the team’s mentality. Ronaldo was openly frustrated with his teammates as they completely collapsed to let Al Hilal run riot in the game.
While all eyes were on Al Hilal’s attacking capabilities, the Super Cup champions also stepped up in defence. Ronaldo only had two shots at goal, largely due to the defensive efforts to ensure he was denied service. The first shot resulted in the goal, and the second shot came in the 93rd minute, long after Al Hilal had the game sealed.
Still undefeated, Al Hilal will go into matchday one of the Saudi Pro League with a spring in their step and confidence that they can keep the run going as they defend their title.
Al Nassr will be assessing the team’s lack of mentality, which left them helpless and unable to step up to the challenge. The management may need to look into the transfer market to add some quality to the team to ensure they can perform better this season compared to last season.
