Ronaldo’s Frustrating Afternoon
Lovely ball into the box for Ronaldo. The striker jumps to head it goal-wards but doesn’t quite get it right and knocks the chance wide of the post. It’s been a frustrating afternoon for him but Al-Nassr do look set to reach the semi-finals. Ronaldo had been arguing with the officials a lot on this half, he’s already been booked and ought to be careful.
The Substitution
The substitute make it 3-1! Abdulfattah Adam ha been excellent since coming off the bench and he latches onto a loose ball after a good save to give Abha the smallest of openings. They seem unlikely to find a way back with 20 minutes remaining but it may make for a tenser 20 minutes than Al-Nassr had hoped.
Al-Nassr’s Good Chance
The hosts get a good chance to make it four. It falls really nicely for Ali Al-Hassan who hits it well but the shot is knocked onto the crossbar. The Al-Nassr keeper hasn’t had an awful lot to do this evening but he gets across well and stops an Abha shot at full stretch.
Abha’s Struggle
Abha have just started to get forward with a bit more confidence but Nawaf Al-Aqidi does well to keep his side 3-0 up. Abha come forward well down the left but Al-Nassr keep them at bay really well. Eventually Abha have to play it backwards to whip a cross in but the home keeper catches it nicely and starts a counter-attack. Nawaf Al-Sadi attempts a volley on the turn from outside the box. He hits it really nicely but it flies wide. The striker comes forward again moments later but it dealt with effectively by the Al-Nassr defence. Nawaf has been Abha’s best player this afternoon but has received little support from his teammates.
Al-Nassr’s Second Goal
Al-Nassr double their lead! It’s a stunning finish from Abdullah Al-Khaibari. The home side advance nicely down the left and it looks as though the ball will come in for Ronaldo in the box. Instead, it’s pulled just behind him for the unmarked Al-Khalibari, who strokes in a lovely side-footed effort without breaking his stride. Abha had just started to play themselves into the game and that will be a big blow.
Poor Quality in Front of Goal
The home side have lacked a bit of quality in front of the goal despite taking an early lead. Abha moves the ball well and works a cross into the box from the left wing. Their striker is unmarked in the box but the home side keeps their shape well and snuff out the chance. Al-Nassr then break and win a free-kick just outside the box. Ronaldo hits it nicely but the ball hits the wall and burst through into the box.
Al-Nassr’s Unbelievable Start
Unbelievable start from Al-Nassr! It’s a speculative ball forward from Al-Nassr but the Abha defence is caught goal and find themselves 1-0 down after some classy link-up play around the box. Sami’s shot takes a slight deflection to take it away from the keeper. The worst possible start for the visitors.
Ronaldo and Sami’s Plays
The striker bursts forward and takes a shot from just outside the box. He’s turning as he hits it and can’t find the goal as he drags it wide of the Abha post. The 38-year-old looks desperate for a goal this afternoon. Ronaldo is played in down the left and curls a shot goalwards from the edge of the box. The Abha keeper gets across well to make a strong save, and the flags eventually go up for offside. The away side doesn’t know how to deal with Ronaldo at the moment. Ronaldo cuts in from the right and plays a clever one-two with Ghareeb on the left wing. The return is slightly in front of the striker and he can’t quite get there, but the number seven is starting to make an impact. Lovely ball up to Sami in the Abha box, who looks to square it to Ronaldo in front of goal. It’s slightly behind the former Man United striker and he can’t get a shot off, Sami should have gone for goal himself. The flag goes up in the end, but it’s another bright bit of moment from Sami and the visiting defence look ill-equipped to deal with him so far.
Abha’s Struggle Continues
The visitors are playing a lot of balls forward but they’re struggling to find players in the final third. They’ve done a good job of stopping AL-Nassr in the past few minutes but don’t look like finding a way back into the game.
Final Thoughts
Abha moved the ball well in midfield in times but ultimately struggled to create chances after Al-Nassr’s goal line clearance in the opening minute. The visitors were on the back foot after 10 seconds and have struggled to find a way back since, especially after Abdullah Al-Khaibari doubled the lead with a classy volley. It will take a much-changed performance in the second-half for Abha to find a way back.
The End
Al-Nassr has won the match against Abha. It was a game full of frustration for Ronaldo, but his team managed to secure the victory.
Credit: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/live/article-11858639/Al-Nassr-vs-Abha-LIVE-Cristiano-Ronaldo-aims-end-goalless-run.html
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