With Pictures: Ronaldo Leads Al-Nassr to Its First Title with a Double against Al-Hilal in the Arab Club Championship
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals and led his team Al-Nassr from Saudi Arabia to its first title in the Arab Club Championship in football, winning the final match against its traditional rival Al-Hilal 2-1 after extra time on Saturday at King Fahd Stadium in Al-Hawiyah in Ta'if.
Al-Hilal seemed on its way to its third championship title in the tournament after Brazilian Michel Delgado took the lead (51) and Al-Nassr continued the match with ten players from the 71st minute. However, Ronaldo equalized (74) to take the match to extra time, where he scored the winning goal (98) and secured Al-Nassr's first title since his arrival at the beginning of the year in a sensational deal.
Ronaldo finished the championship as the top scorer with six goals, even though he exited the match five minutes before the end due to a knee injury, just days before the team's first match in the local league.
The match was thrilling from both sides, with an advantage for Al-Nassr in the first half, where they failed to capitalize on their chances.
Delgado scored the first goal with a header after following a cross from his compatriot winger Malcolm (51), celebrating in the style of Ronaldo by spinning and jumping.
It appeared that Al-Nassr faced a setback in its attempt to return to the game after defender Abdulilah Al-Omari was sent off with a red card for obstructing Malcolm heading towards Al-Nassr's goal. It's worth noting that the referee initially showed a yellow card before consulting VAR (71).
However, the "Al-Aalami" (nickname for Al-Nassr) didn't let the numerical disadvantage affect them, and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo equalized after he followed a cross from Sultan Al-Ghannam from the right side (74). He celebrated by placing his hand on his mouth, mimicking the gesture of the crowd that was cheering for his eternal rival, Argentine Lionel Messi.
The referee awarded a penalty to Al-Hilal minutes later after a mistake in favor of Serbian player Sergej Milinkovi?-Savi? inside the box, but he reversed the decision after consulting VAR.
In extra time, Ronaldo scored the winning goal with a header from in front of the goal after the ball rebounded off the crossbar (98), securing his first title since his arrival in January of the previous year in a deal worth €400 million for two and a half seasons.
Al-Nassr denied its rival Al-Hilal a third title, which would have equaled the record set by Tunisian club Esperance and Iraqi club Al-Rasheed in 1994 and 1995.
