39-year-old striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty to open the score, when Al Nassr beat host Al Shabab 3-2 in round 21 of Pro League.

In the 18th minute, the referee stopped the match to go to the sideline to review the situation where the ball touched the hand of home defender Iago Santos, from a shot by Al Nassr player. Without spending much time watching, he awarded a penalty to the away team. As usual, captain Ronaldo took a penalty kick and sent the ball to the left corner, not giving goalkeeper Hamad Al Absi a chance to block it.

Ronaldo celebrates opening the score for Al Nassr. Photo: ANFC

Ronaldo celebrates the opening goal for Al Nassr at Al Shabab Stadium, Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, round 21 of Pro League on the evening of February 25, 2024. Photo: ANFC

Ronaldo continues to show his impressive penalty kick ability, having not missed a single shot in over two years. The last time he failed was when he played for Man Utd, in the match against Middlesbrough in the 4th round of the FA Cup on February 4, 2022. Since then, he has scored penalties 18 times in a row.

The Portuguese superstar also scored for the sixth consecutive match in the Saudi League. In the last 10 rounds, he also scored in nine matches, only remaining silent when Al Nassr lost to top team Al Hilal 0-3 on December 2. Al Hilal are still leading the table, four points ahead of Al Nassr and having played one match less.

Besides the penalty goal, Ronaldo did not have many opportunities to show off because Al Shabab kept the ball firmly. He only had one other shot opportunity in the match, but the ball did not hit the target. According to Sofascore statistics, Ronaldo touched the ball 30 times in the match, lost the ball 10 times and failed seven passes.

Al Nassr took the lead twice, but were equalized by the home team both times. After Al Shabab scored the second goal, the home crowd lit red flares, then continuously chanted Messi’s name. When he heard these chants, Ronaldo threw up his hands in frustration.

Although Ronaldo is locked down, Al Nassr still has striker Anderson Talisca. It was the Brazilian player who scored twice, bringing a 3-2 victory to the away team. Al Nassr has won nine consecutive official matches in all competitions, continuing to maintain championship hopes. But to do that, they will need Al Hilal to stumble a few more matches.