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Al Nassr 3-2 Al Shabab: Report, result, goals as Cristiano Ronaldo’s side edge past 10-player opponents in Saudi Pro League

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr drew with Al Shabab

Written by Ben Miller
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Al Nassr 3-2 Al Shabab: Report, result, goals as Cristiano Ronaldo’s side edge past 10-player opponents in Saudi Pro League

Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s second-half winner ended Al-Nassr’s three-match losing run as Cristiano Ronaldo’s side saw off 10-player Al-Shabab to rise to second in the Saudi Pro League at Al-Awwal Park.

Saad Yaslam’s own goal gave Al-Nassr the lead inside 90 seconds and Jorge Jesus’s team seemed poised for a comfortable win when former Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain winger Kingsley Coman scored an eighth-minute bicycle kick.

Home defender Mohamed Simakan’s own goal in the 31st minute gave hope to the visitors, who equalised eight minutes after the restart when Carlos Junior broke clear and clipped in.

Vincent Sierro was sent off for a challenge on Coman before Ghareeb slotted in 14 minutes from time, with a Video Assistant Referee check allowing the goal as Al-Nassr moved four points behind Al-Hilal with a game less to play than the leaders.

Al Nassr vs Al Shabab: Cristiano Ronaldo draws blank

Ronaldo remains the Saudi Pro League top scorer on 15 goals but failed to net for only a third top-flight game this season in an unconvincing performance by his stumbling team.

Victory was essential after losing their previous match 3-1 at Al-Hilal, but Al-Shabab – who had won two and lost eight of their first 14 games of the campaign – recovered from a wretched start to offer more evidence of Al-Nassr’s questionable form.

Yaslam turned in Joao Felix’s cross after Ronaldo’s clever backheel for his Portugal teammate and Coman’s finish was a spectacular one, only for poor defending to betray the title hopefuls in familiar fashion.

After Simakan emulated Yaslam’s misfortune, Yannick Carrasco’s pass cut Al-Nassr’s defence open, allowing Carlos to level with a composed strike.

Visiting goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe was in inspired form, briliantly readjusting to turn the ball behind when Wesley’s shot took a deflection off Carrasco inside the box.

Sierro looked perplexed at his dismissal for impeding Coman’s attempt to enter the penalty area, and Ghareeb had the final say from a rebound, with Ronaldo patting Grohe on the head as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner wheeled away to celebrate and returning to hug the goalkeeper in a sign of greater respect.

Al Nassr team vs Al Shabab

Al-Nassr starting XI: Bento, Sultan Al Ghannam, Mohamed Simakan, Inigo Martinez, Nawaf Bu Washl, Wesley, Abdullah Al Khaibari, Angelo, Kingsley Coman, Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix

Al-Nassr substitutes: Mubarak Al Buainain, Nader Al Sharari, Mohammed Marran, Ali Al Hassan, Aiman Yahya, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Haroune Camara, Salem Al Najdi, Saad Al Nasser

Al Shabab team vs Al Nassr

Al-Shabab starting XI: Marcelo Grohe, Mohammed Al Thani, Josh Brownhill, Wesley Hoedt, Saad Yaslam, Hammam Al Hammami, Yacine Adli, Vincent Sierro, Yannick Carrasco, Carlos Junior, Unai Hernandez

Al-Shabab substitutes: Abdulaziz Al Awardi, Mohammed Al Shwirekh, Ali Makki, Faisal Al Subiani, Hussain Al Sibyani, Majed Abdullah, Nawaf Al Saadi, Sultan, Abdulaziz Al Othman

How to watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr: TV, 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.

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