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Cristiano Ronaldo has impressed for Al-Nassr in recent weeks.
Cristiano Ronaldo provided an exquisite assist for his Al-Nassr team-mate Abdulrahman Ghareeb on Friday afternoon to help his side take the lead against Al-Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League. And after the ball had nestled in the back of the net, the Portugal international raised his arms in celebration, before racing to congratulate Ghareeb with a smile on his face. Ronaldo has enjoyed an upturn in fortunes in recent weeks and turned provider for a second time in the closing stages of the match as Abdullah Madu struck from close range to ensure Al-Nassr secured a 2-1 victory.
Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr at the end of last year after having his contract at Manchester United terminated in November. The 38-year-old endured a slow start in Saudi Arabia as he failed to find the back of the net in his first two matches.
But he has rediscovered his best form in recent games and bagged four goals against Al-Wedha last week following his first strike for his new club against Al-Fateh at the start of February. The Saudi Pro League is starting to see a revitalised Ronaldo – and the forward picked up from where he left off for the visit of Al-Taawoun.
With the game still goalless just before the midway point of the first half, the ball found Ronaldo in space inside his own half. The veteran curled a sumptuous through ball in between two defenders for Ghareeb to race onto. And the Saudi winger kept his cool to slot the ball into the corner of the net to put the hosts 1-0 up.
Ronaldo put pen-to-paper on a two-and-a-half year deal when he signed for Al-Nassr and is said to be earning a whopping £173million per season in the Middle East. The player, who won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid after lifting the same trophy during his first spell at Old Trafford, is the biggest blockbuster star to ever ply his trade in Saudi Arabia.
And he could now even be targeting the Saudi Pro League’s Golden Boot this season as his five goals means he is only eight strikes adrift of Al-Nassr team-mate and domestic top scorer Talisca in the scoring charts.
Al-Taawoun drew level two minutes after the interval courtesy of a strike from Alvaro Medran as they took the game to Al-Nassr. And Ronaldo was then guilty of an extraordinary miss as he somehow failed to put the ball in the back of the net from a few yards out when it was rolled across the face of goal to him.
Al-Nassr thought they had fallen behind in the second half after the away side put the ball in the back of the net for a second time. But that effort was ultimately ruled out. And Al-Nassr secured all three points with 12 minutes remaining as Ronaldo laid the ball off to Madu, who turned it home.
Source:Daily Mail