Cristiano Ronaldo endured a frustrating night in front of goal despite Al Nassr’s 1–0 win over Al Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League on Monday.
Ronaldo was heavily involved from the opening minutes as Al Nassr dominated possession and territory, but the forward was denied repeatedly by the woodwork, offside calls and the Al Taawoun goalkeeper.
Within five minutes, Ronaldo struck the crossbar after making a run behind the defence, before providing a free-kick assist for Mohamed Simakan, a goal that was later ruled out for offside.
He continued to lead Al Nassr’s attack, firing a free-kick wide and seeing another effort chalked off for offside.
The Portuguese forward also tested goalkeeper Mailson on multiple occasions, but the breakthrough eventually came without his direct touch.
Sadio Mane delivered a cross from the left that Mohammed Al Dossari diverted into his own net just before half-time.
Ronaldo kept pressing after the break as Al Nassr pushed for a second goal. Mane struck the post, while further chances fell to the hosts.
Ronaldo thought he had earned a penalty after being brought down, but the decision was overturned following a review that showed he was offside in the build-up.
Despite the narrow scoreline, Al Taawoun rarely threatened, failing to seriously test Al Nassr goalkeeper Bento as the hosts managed the game to the final whistle.
The win lifted Al Nassr back into second place, five points behind league leaders Al Hilal, keeping their title challenge alive.
For Ronaldo, however, it was a night of near-misses, as the 40-year-old was unable to add to his 16 league goals despite leading the line and dominating Al Nassr’s attacking play.
