Despite opposition manager Christophe Galtier dubbing the Al Nassr forward “still the best player in the world,” Cristiano Ronaldo gave credit for his man-of-the-match performance in the Asian Champions League to both hard effort and the aid of his Al Nassr teammates.
On Tuesday night in Riyad, the 38-year-old captain of Nassr continued his extraordinary form by scoring two sublime goals and recording an assist in his team’s 4-3 triumph over Al Duhail of Qatar.
At Al Awwal Park, Ronaldo assisted the opening goal scored by Brazilian Anderson Talisca with a fantastic back-heel and scored Nassr’s third goal with a superb long-range shot shortly after the hour mark.
Nine minutes from time, the former Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus great scored his second of the night, restoring Nassr’s two-goal advantage by meeting Sultan Al Ghannam’s cross with a stunning left-footed volley.
Nassr won 4-3 to go to 3-0 and take over first place in Group E; the Saudi Arabian club was also celebrating its 68th anniversary.
Ronaldo scored twice in this game, bringing his season total for Nassr to 20 goals.
The Portugal captain commented, “It was a wonderful, complicated, and difficult match” following their Duhail victory. When we went up two goals, we assumed victory would be a breeze.
Ronaldo stated this about his incredible recent play: “Nothing comes without sacrifices.” I enjoy breaking records and scoring goals since it is a result of the hard work of my squad. I’m happy for the supporters that they won.
To paraphrase, “I enjoy my time with Al Nassr, and we are working to be the strongest and best team.”
Galtier, the new head coach at Duhail and formerly of French powerhouse PSG, heaped accolades on the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
The Frenchman admitted, “When you face Ronaldo, there isn’t much you can do.” He had two outstanding goals. I can’t think of the right words to define him.
For a man of 38, what he accomplished today is quite remarkable. To this day, he remains the world’s top player.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) side Al Ain kept their perfect record intact with a 4-1 victory over Saudi Pro League club Al Fayha on Tuesday in the Garden City.
Kaku scored twice for Paraguay while Kouame Autonne and Soufiane Rahimi scored once each for the UAE at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. The only Asian champions from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Al Ain are now six points ahead of the rest of Group A.
The top three finishers in each group from the Eastern and Western Hemispheres will join the 10 group winners in the knockout stages.