Cristiano Ronaldo Scores Late Goal To Give Al Nassr The Advantage In Their AFC Champions League Round of 16 Clash With Al Fateh
Al Nassr had to wait until the 81st minute to get the winning goal away to Al Fateh in the first leg of their round-of-16 AFC Champions League clash. While dominant throughout the match, the Cristiano Ronaldo-led team failed to convert their chances.
Al Fateh struggled to get into the game, managing only 23% possession with a single off-target shot. On their part, Luis Castro’s men dominated from start to finish with 77% possession, 14 goal attempts, and three shots on target.
The hosts managed to survive Al Nassr’s onslaughts for most of the match, with 29 clearances and ten fouls committed. The first big chance for Al Nassr came just before halftime, with Cristiano controlling the ball with his chest and shooting at goal, but the goalkeeper managed a save. A close-range effort from Laporte missed the target, and the teams went into halftime at 0-0.
In the second half, Al Nassr picked up where they left off in search of goals. Commendably, Al Fateh’s defense put up a fight, making it hard for Al Nassr attackers to penetrate. Ronaldo and Talisca failed to score with a saved shot and an off-target one, respectively.
As he’s consistently done throughout his career, Cristiano Ronaldo combined with Marcelo Brozovic to score and seal the victory for Al Nassr. The visitors will now head into the second half of the Saudi Pro League with a spring in their step, having secured the first-leg advantage in this encounter.
