Cristiano Ronaldo shared a defiant message on social media after Al-Nassr's statement win against Al-Ittihad. The clash between two of Saudi football’s heavyweights was billed as a showdown for early supremacy, and it was Ronaldo and Sadio Mane who delivered the knockout blows.
Mane and Ronaldo tear champions apart
Mane lit up the night with a thunderous opener inside nine minutes, smashing home a first-time finish that left goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic grasping at thin air. If that didn’t silence the champions, Mane twisted the knife just before the half-hour mark with a perfect cross that Ronaldo buried with a trademark header.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportRonaldo climbs closer to football immortality
That goal wasn’t just a dagger for Al-Ittihad; it was another step in Ronaldo’s relentless march toward history. The Portuguese superstar now sits on 946 career goals, leaving him tantalisingly close to the mythical 1,000 mark. Just 54 more and he will hit a milestone no player in football history has ever achieved.
Ronaldo's message to his rivals
After the dust settled, Ronaldo took to Instagram to rally the faithful. His message was short and dripping with defiance: “This is Al-Nassr! This is who we are!”
Al-Nassr flex muscles at the summit
For Al-Nassr, it marked a fourth win in four league outings, a perfect start that has propelled them to the top of the standings with 12 points. They are now three clear of their bitter rivals Al-Ittihad, who were left shell-shocked by their first defeat of the campaign.
