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Al Fateh 0-2 Al Nassr: Report, result, goals as Cristiano Ronaldo scores on Saudi Pro League return

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr saw off dangerous Al Fateh

Written by Ben Miller
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Al Fateh 0-2 Al Nassr: Report, result, goals as Cristiano Ronaldo scores on Saudi Pro League return

Cristiano Ronaldo scored on his first appearance in four Al-Nassr matches as the Saudi Pro League title hopefuls won at stubborn Al-Fateh to move a point behind leaders Al-Hilal.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo struck from Sadio Mane’s cross to put his side ahead in the 18th minute at the Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Stadium, where wideman Ayman Yahya fired in a superb finish as part of a move from a throw-in to complete the scoring 12 minutes from time.

Matias Vargas’ wonderful curling free-kick almost drew Al-Fateh level during the first half, hitting the crossbar before goalkeeper Bento brilliantly denied Jorge Fernandes at close quarters from the rebound.

Ronaldo was among the figures from both sides to show their confusion during a controversial and lengthy Video Assistant Referee check early in the second half, ruling out Mohamed Simakan’s close-range finish for Al-Nassr.

Analysis: Cristiano Ronaldo returns as Al Nassr win

Having used his absence to signal his discontent at the club’s lack of transfer activity before the Saudi transfer window closed, modern great Ronaldo’s restoration was always likely to produce dividends for Al-Nassr, who faced the challenge of breaking down a low block against opponents who were perhaps unfortunate to suffer defeat.

Head coach Jorge Jesus is also understood to be unhappy with the club’s approach to the transfer window and has missed numerous press conferences since his most high-profile player made his dissatisfaction clear.

Whatever Ronaldo and his manager’s future, this hard-earned win was a fine way to restore some tranquility at Al-Nassr and keep their title ambitions firmly intact.

Ronaldo record vs Al Fateh

Substituted during second-half added time, Ronaldo has now scored in his last five appearances against Al-Fateh, including a hat-trick in 2023 as part of a total of nine goals in seven games against them.

The 41-year-old also netted his 18th goal of the season in the Saudi Pro League, putting him joint-second in the top-scorer standings.

The two-time golden boot winner in the division is level with Al-Qadsiah’s Julian Quinones and two goals behind former England striker Ivan Toney, of Al-Ahli.

Al Fateh starting team vs Al Nassr

Mourad Batna has scored four goals this season and the Al-Fateh winger returned for the first time since sustaining an injury in their 1–1 draw at home to Al Hazem on February 1.

Wesley Delgado, 21, was given a chance to shine. Striker Fahad Al-Zubaidi is on loan from Al-Nassr and was on the bench.

Al-Fateh also have a Portuguese leader in Jose Gomes, whose side suffered a 9-0 defeat in his second match in charge to Jesus’s Al-Hilal in 2024.

Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Al-Nassr

While that remains the heaviest defeat of Gomes’ managerial career, Al-Fateh entered this game with a respectable record this season of six wins and eight defeats from 20 league matches, including a 2-1 victory over Al-Hilal in November.

They are now winless in seven matches but had drawn their most recent at fourth-placed Al-Qadsiah on February 7, when winger Vargas scored his sixth league goal of the campaign to take his tally to eight overall.

Victory would have lifted Al-Fateh above Al-Khaleej to ninth.

Al Fateh starting XI: Fernando Pacheco, Saeed Baatiyah, Jorge Philip, Marwan Saadan, Abdulaziz Al-Swailim, Zaidu Yusuf, Nayef Masoud, Murad Batna, Sofiane Ben Dbeka, Wesley Delgado, Matias Vargas

Al Fateh substitutes: Mahmoud Al-Brieh, Ziyad Al-Jari, Hussein Qasin, Mohammed Al-Suhayhi, Fahad Al-Zubaidi, Ali Al-Masoud, Mohammed Al-Sarnoukh, Abdullah Al-Anazi, Abdulaziz Al-Fawaz

Al Nassr Football Club manager Jorge Jesus looking sideways under floodlights in a stadium while wearing a white polo shirt with the yellow and blue club badge on it

Al Nassr line up vs Al Fateh as Ronaldo returned

Attacking midfielder Sami Al-Najei and forward Saad Haqawi were out injured for Al-Nassr, for whom Ronaldo’s return dominated the pre-match headlines.

Al Nassr starting XI: Bento, Sultan, Simakan, Inigo, Amri, Khaibari, Brozovic, Coman, Mane, Joao Felix, Ronaldo

Al Nassr substitutes: Nawaf, Nader, Boushal, Salem, Alhassan, Ayman, Ghareeb, Maran, Alhamdan

How to watch Cristiano Ronaldo: TV channel, live online stream

In the UK, the Saudi top-flight broadcast channel is the Saudi Pro League YouTube channel.

In the US, FOX Sports are the Saudi Pro League live broadcasters.

Al Fateh vs Al Nassr stats

  • Al-Fateh have failed to win nine of their last 10 home games against Al-Nassr
  • Al-Nassr have won 15 of the 24 meetings between the teams, losing three times
  • They have won five of the last six editions of the fixture
  • Al-Nassr have totalled 53 goals in this season’s top flight
  • Joao Felix scored a hat-trick as Al-Nassr won the reverse fixture 5-1 in October, joined on the scoresheet by Ronaldo and Kingsley Coman
  • Sofiane Bendebka replied in that game, with Ronaldo missing a penalty and Sadio Mane providing two assists

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