• It may only be the first league win of the season but things are now looking up for the Riyadh giants

John Duerden

RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo kick-started Al-Nassr’s season on Saturday with a hattrick and an assist in a much-needed 5-0 win at Al-Fateh with Sadio Mane also bagging a brace. After two defeats in the first two games of the Roshn Saudi League season, the pressure was on the Yellows and new coach Luis Castro but the five-time Ballon D’Or winner and his team-mates stepped up in style.

With zero points and one goal so far, this was a very different performance from the nine-time Saudi Arabian champions against a team that had collected four points from the opening two games and it suggested that there is much more to come. At times the football going forward was sublime and the equal of anything on display anywhere this weekend. 

It may only be the first league win of the season but things are now looking up for the Riyadh giants. On Tuesday they came within two minutes of being eliminated from the Asian Champions League by Shabab Al-Ahli before three goals in the closing moments gave them a 4-2 win and a place in the group stage of the continental competition.

Even so, a third successive league defeat would really have put Castro under the microscope, an international one given the global interest in Saudi Arabian football these days. With rivals Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli all winning the first three games of the season, another loss would have seen Al-Nassr nine points off the pace with the season just starting and would have resulted in plenty of questions asked.

Al-Nassr meant business from the first whistle with Ronaldo causing all sorts of problems and going close. The Portuguese star played a crucial role in the opening goal that came after 27 minutes. It was a move that suggested that the attacking talent in the Al-Nassr ranks are starting to get on the same wavelength. 

There was a simple pass from Marcelo Brozovic in a central position in the Al-Fateh half that was met by a delightful flick from Ronaldo outside the area, leaving Mane to simply lift the ball over Jacob Rinne and into the net.

Seven minutes before the break, Ronaldo got his first league goal of the season. Sultan Al-Ghannam floated over an inviting cross from the right and there was the 38 year-old, who was never going to miss from close range, to head home. 

Ten minutes after the restart Al-Nassr were almost home and dry. Abdulrahman Ghareeb broke free down the left after great work from Brozovic. He drew the goalkeeper to the corner of the area and then just squared the ball to Ronaldo who left slotted home with the minimum of fuss.

Now the team were stroking it around and looking very good indeed as was the case with nine minutes remaining as Mane grabbed his second and his team’s fourth. Ronaldo found Ghareeb on the left and his cross was met by the former Liverpool star, who directed a powerful header into the opposite corner.

There was just enough time for Ronaldo to secure his first hat-trick since arriving in Saudi Arabia in January. Nawaf Boushel found some space on the right corner of the six yard box and his pass found Ronaldo at the far post and the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star just had to roll the ball home from close range. His smile was as wide as the margin of victory.

That goal means that the scoreline exceeds that of the twin 4-0 wins recorded away from home  by Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad on the day before. This win from Al-Nassr does not mean that all is now well in their corner of Riyadh but on this Friday evening, there was a hint of what this team could become and the kind of football that is possible. If that keeps happening then the season that started badly could end in all kinds of wonderful.