Cristiano Ronaldo showcased a vintage performance, netting two incredible goals to lead Al Nassr to a 4-3 victory over Al Duhail of Qatar.
On Tuesday, former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane and Anderson Talisca also found the back of the net for the Saudi team, maintaining their perfect record with three wins in the group stage of the prestigious Asian club competition.
Talisca initiated the scoring in Riyadh with a powerful strike from the edge of the box, beautifully set up by Ronaldo’s clever back-heeled assist at the 25th-minute mark. The 38-year-old Portuguese star exhibited his full array of skills.
Eleven minutes into the second half, Mane executed a skillful turn and fired a shot into the net to add a second goal. Al Nassr seemed to be in control when Ronaldo curled a magnificent third goal from outside the box just five minutes later.
However, the Qatari team, fueled by former Barcelona and Liverpool winger Philippe Coutinho, responded with two quick goals in the following six minutes, courtesy of Ismail Mohamad and Almoez Ali, making the game incredibly tense.
With nine minutes left on the clock, Ronaldo seemed to seal the victory, sprinting onto a long pass from Sultan Al Ghannam and delivering a superb left-footed volley without missing a beat.
There was still room for another twist as Michael Olunga pulled one back, bringing the score to 4-3 in the 85th minute, setting the stage for a nail-biting final few minutes.
“When you face Ronaldo, there isn’t much you can do,” said Al Duhail manager Christophe Galtier, who was in charge of French giants Paris Saint-Germain last season.
“He scored two beautiful goals. I’m at a loss for words to describe him. What he did today is extraordinary for a 38-year-old. He’s still the best player in the world.”
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