Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s coverage of the Saudi Pro League fixture between Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and Al Khaleej, happening at the KSU Stadium in Riyadh. This is Mayank bringing you all the updates.
What a game, what a result for Al Khaleej! They stopped the second-placed Al Nassr 1-1 to deny them the opportunity to climb on the top of points table. Goals in the first half for both teams were decisive in the result.
Talisca has the ball and he tries to shoot from long range, a wonderful shot but goes wide, frustrating end of this game for Al Nassr.
Masharipov concedes a free kick and it is as good as done for Nassr. A thought draw result awaits the home team to swallow.
Chance: Amri....no, what have to done? He has a clear space to find the back of the net but he shoots wide. Probably the last chance for Nassr.
Chance: Another delivery for Maran inside the box, another header and another save by keeper Haidari.
Al Nassr is unable to make any clear changes. Defenders are closing down and not giving any space to take shots.
Chance: Another cross for Nassr inside the box, Maran heads the ball but it goes out, time is running away and match is going out of Nassr’s hand here.
Sub for Khaleej: Amaral has been subbed off for Hani Al-Sebyani.
Nine minutes of additional time has been added after the 90 minutes of regulation time.
Double sub for Nassr as Jaloliddin Masharipov and Mohammed Maran comes in for Ghareeb and Al Ghanam.
The game has the pace which was lacking in last few minutes, Ronaldo-led Nassr is constantly bombarding Khaleej with shots but nothing concrete till now.
Yellow Card: Goalkeeper Haidari has been booked to waste time and he sees a yellow card.
Ronaldo is seen helping a Khaleej player who was struggling with cramps, a great sportsmanspirit shown by this gesture from Ronaldo.
IN: Nawaf Boushal | OUT: Alvaro Gonzalez
Sub for Khaleej:
OUT: A. E Fietosa | IN: Ahmed Yousef Al Zain
Chance: Ufff! Close, Ronaldo! He cuts in and shows creativity which was lacking for quite some time now. He cuts in once and then goes deep to deceive two defenders and hits a shot beneath the defender’s leg but it goes wide by few inches! Nearly a winner from Ronaldo.
A heated exchange of words between Alvaro Gonzalez and Cikalleshi over a foul.
Free Kick: A handball from Ghareeb gives Khaleej a free kick.
Corner kick: Ronaldo plays it smart and wins a corner kick. Ghareeb takes a right footed kick which was cleared by the Khaleej’s defence.
Nassr looks for their second goal, they are in constant high press but lacks creativity in the final third, not able to finish it.
Nassr in the attack once again, a lovely dink pass inside the box but a brilliant save from Mohammed Khabrani saves it on time.
Al Nassr manages to win a free kick near the box. Ronaldo takes the kick and once again hits the defensive wall as he goes for power instead of
Souza with the ball and Gustavo fouls on him to stop his run. Free kick for Khaleej.
Corner Kick: Al Khaleej wins a corner but Rossi saves the kick without any fuss.
Chance: Haidari, who was brilliant till now makes a huge blunder as he mistimes his shot and passes it to Ronaldo of all who runs down with the ball to take a shot but could control and overrun with the ball being on backfoot, he somehow manages to pass it to Ghareeb who fails to keep it on target.
Off Side: Oh my god, a chaotic play as Nassr drills it by not one, not two but at least four shots back-to-back. Ronaldo in the end finds the back of the net but till then the flag was up signalling offside.
Talisca gets the ball from Ghareeb and straightaway gets collides with Odwah. Odwah is looking in pain but it was a legitimate run thus play continues.
Ronaldo receives the through ball in the midfield but he has been brought down by Souza this time, referee says play-on yet again and the frustration grows larger on captgain Ronaldo.
Yellow card: O Al-Owdah gets booked by referee for a foul he made on Ghareeb.
Chance: Al Nassr is on the move. Talisca dinks it to Ghareeb in the middle but he leaves it for Ronaldo who was in on the run from the left flank but fails to put the ball inside the goal.
Khaleej gets the possession for the first time in this half, Feitosa runs down the left channel and tries to make a move but he has been brought down and the referee allows to play on.
Nassr conintues to hold the possession. Khaleej has deployed numbers on its half. A breakthrough is difficult to find by any team here.
Nassr wastes no time and straghtaway goes for an attack.
Time for some live action from the second half.
WUFF! What a first half we just witnessed. Al Khaleej opened its account in the fourth minute with Martins goal and then Al Nassr retaliated by constant high press. Gonzalez equalised for the home team at 17th minute and they had at lease five more chances to double or even triple its lead. Alas, one-one as it stands at half time.
Three minutes of added time has been added.
Chance: What a lovely run-up play by Khaleej to catch the Nassr’s defense off guard, a cross of flank four times resulted in an opportunity for Khaleej to take shot from dangerous angle but Rossi does well enough to save it with a timely jump.
Chance: Ronaldo wins a free kick close from the penalty box. He takes the free kick and hits the defensive wall, Nassr holds the possession after deflection but Talisca fails to time his bicycle kick and Khaleej gets the ball.
Gonzalez and Talisca were in a 2v1 situation against Amaral and Talisca brings Alamaral down from behind. Nothing from referee this time.
Yellow card: Ali Alhassan fouls Fabio Martins from behind to bring him down and referee says enough is enough and booked Alhassan with a yellow card.
Chance: Ghareeb times his run with near perfection to beat the last line of defence while staying on side and his first touch almost got Nassr the second goal but Haidari is standing like a wall for Khaleej in front of box today.
Chance: Another corner kick for Al Nassr, Ghareeb on set piece duty. Sulaiheem who was placed wide receives the ball and hits a shot but could not keep it on target.
Al Nassr was pressing hard for the last few minutes, they have laid back now as we move closer to the halftime. Nassr dominates the ball possession and dictates the pace of the game.
Chance: A free kick followed by a corner kick for Al Nassr. Ronaldo tries to head in the curling delivery but fails to gets the right connection on time.
Yellow Card: Khaleej captain Souza makes a tough challenge on Talisca who was making a run from the right flank and in result gets the first booking of the game. A yellow card for Souza.
Ronado with the ball and he has been taken down by Cikalleshi and the referee says play-on which makes the home team captain quite furious.
Corner: Second corner in two minutes for the home team and this time again they fails to convert it.