Al-Nassr, Saudi Pro League, Cristiano Ronaldo

Damac vs Al Nasr Score, Results, Highlights as Cristiano Ronaldo scores first-half hat-trick

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a first-half hat-trick as Al Nasr beat Damak 3-0 to go top of the Saudi Pro League.

Leaders Al Ittihad drew 0-0 at home to Al Rayyd on Thursday, leaving them with a slim one-point lead that Ronaldo-inspired Al Nasr duly turned into a two-point deficit with each of the contenders having played 18 games.
Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 18 minutes and soon took his tally to seven in five games in Saudi Arabia's top flight.
Kresimir Režić's side are now four matches without a win and Ronaldo added to their woes a minute before half-time by crowning a sweeping counter-attack to claim the match ball.
Damac vs Al Nasr Final Score
    1H 2H Final
Damac 0 0 0
Al Nasr 3 0 3

Aim:

AL NASSR - Cristiano Ronaldo (Penalty) - 18th min
AL NASSR - Cristiano Ronaldo - 23rd min
AL NASSR - Cristiano Ronaldo - 44th min.
Al Nasr controlled the action from the kickoff and had a breakthrough chance in the 18th minute.

Abdulrahman Gharib should have scored from a right-wing cross, but knocked the ball away from goal, perhaps looking to put Ronaldo out rather than shoot himself. Sami Al-Najei smashed into the goal and the ball fell into the hands of Damak captain Ibrahim Al-Nakhli.
A VAR review awarded a penalty before attacking Ronaldo and Al-Nakhli was booked. Despite it being an away game for Al Nasr, many in attendance chanted his customary "SIUUUUUU!" Joined it. celebration

It was exposed again five minutes later when Damac exposed their weakness on the counter-attack and Ronaldo drilled into the bottom left-foot corner.

In the 44th minute, Garib separated Damak with an outside-of-the-foot pass and Ronaldo sent Sami Al-Najei's knockdown with impeccable timing.

Ronaldo had a fourth ruled out for offside in the second half when substitute Zhaloliddin Masharipov headed his left-wing free-kick against the crossbar. Gharib was also unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet as the final scoreline flattered Damak.

Damak (4-5-1): Zeghba (GK) — 30-Chafai, 15-Al-Nakhli, 3-Bedran, 32-Hasoun — 12-Maken, 13-Al-Ammar, 6-Mayer, 17-Antolik, 2-Soudani — 7-Hamzi

Subs: 22-Hauswi (GK), 38-Al-Nazir, 8-Al-Moussa, 10-Delgado, 14-Al-Surhani, 20-Al-Anji, 40-H. Al-Shamarani, 11-a. Al-Shamarani, 23-Mazrashi

Al Nasr (4-2-3-1): 44-Nawaf (GK) — 2-Sultan, 5-Al-Amri, 3-Madou, 13-Konan— 18-Luiz Gustavo, 17-Al-Khaibari — 29- Gharib, 23-Ayman, 14-Sami — 7-Ronaldo

Subs: 22-Rassi (GK), 4-Al-Fatil, 12-Bushal, 27-Majeed, 8-Al-Sulaihem, 19-Al-Hasan, 77-Masharipov, 78-Lazami, 16-Maran
Damak vs Al Nasr Live Updates, Saudi Pro League Highlights

Full-time: Three points for Al Nasr, three goals for Cristiano Ronaldo - 62nd career hat-trick, which is a frankly absurd situation. That's exactly what Al Nasr and Saudi football did when they signed up the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Rudy Garcia's men are top of the table, two points clear of Al Ittihad, and you'd think it would really take something to move them.

90th minute+1: Masharipov and Ronaldo are in front as Al Nasr is number four. Damak came out on their feet collectively but danger was averted.

90th minute: There will be four extra minutes.

88th minute: Crossbar! Ronaldo drives in a free-kick from the left and the luckless Masharipov directs his header against the crossbar. For reasons best known to himself, Damak's substitute Majrashi was running at the back after playing alongside everyone else.

85th min: Chance for Hamzi... no, he's offside. The Al Nasr backline has become a well-oiled machine today... Oh, wait, here's Ronaldo heading for goal again. Enough DAMAC players return to mob him. He wants a penalty, but he doesn't get it.

80th minute: It's all been a bit fragile there. Poor guy lying down and needing medical treatment after bedran, in the words of no-nonsense defending, has little left on him.

75th minute: Here it is Ronaldo again. He gets the ball slightly underfoot and Al-Nakhli puts it back for a corner. It has been shortened and Damac looks off danger.

73rd minute: Bedren collapses in a heap on the floor after failing to convert a final Damak free-kick from the left where everyone runs offside. Not to say too fine a point about this, but the house team has become dirty.

69th minute: Al-Suliahem replaces Sami Al-Najeei for the visitors.

67th minute: Ronaldo has four!!! Oh, no, wait... that's offside. only Smooth moves and a trademark finish from Al Nasr. It all seemed so easy. We can give Damak credit for their effective offside trap but unfortunately, we saw the rest of their defensive work this evening so they probably got lucky.