Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Nassr v Al Ettifaq -
Mrsool Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 22, 2023 Al Nassr's
Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Al Ettifaq's Abdullah Khateeb
REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
RIYADH,
Jan 22 (Reuters) - Anderson Talisca earned Al Nassr a 1-0 home win over
Al Ettifaq on Sunday, but the fans that turned up to Mrsool Park in
droves to see Cristiano Ronaldo in action were left disappointed after
he was unable to mark his Saudi Pro league debut with a goal.
Ronaldo
signed a 2-1/2 year deal with Al Nassr last month, reported to be worth
over 200 million euros ($216.28 million), but has had to wait to play
because of a two-match ban by England's FA for knocking a phone out of a
fan's hand in April.
Expectations for his debut were sky-high after his brace against Paris
St Germain in a friendly on Thursday, but despite showcasing plenty of
endeavour against Al Ettifaq, the 37-year-old was unable to add to his
tally of more than 800 senior goals overall for club and country.
Named the captain ahead of the match, Ronaldo was full of running and
had a couple of bright moments, but mostly cut a lonely figure up front
as his new team mates appeared to be on a different wavelength and
rarely picked him out.
The
Portugal international had a shot from the edge of the penalty area
blocked early on in the first half, before being denied a penalty shout
upon being wrestled to the ground by an Ettifaq defender in the 19th
minute.
Brazilian
forward Talisca put Al Nassr ahead in the 31st minute, when he rose to
meet Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem's cross and plant a header past Al Ettifaq
goalkeeper Paulo Victor.
Ronaldo's
best moment after the break came in a supportive role, as he played a
cross into the feet of Pity Martinez, whose first-time shot was tipped
over the bar by Victor.
Victor
was kept on his toes, as Al-Sulaiheem and Talisca forced him into saves
with well-struck efforts from long range, but Al Nassr were unable to
find another goal.
Ronaldo's
desire to kick off his stint at Al Nassr with a goal became more and
more evident as the second half wore on, culminating with an
unsuccessful attempt at a bicycle kick.
"In
the world of football there is one Cristiano Ronaldo and we are happy
to have him with us. Ronaldo's personality helped him to adapt with the
team," goalscorer Talisca told Saudi Sports Channel.
Al
Ettifaq's best chance came in the 68th minute, when a long throw found
its way to the feet of Youssoufou Niakate in the penalty area, but his
volley from a tight angle was well wide of the target.
Al
Nassr's win moved them back into first place in the league standings on
33 points from 14 matches, after they were briefly overtaken by Al
Hilal earlier on Sunday. Al Ettifaq are in 10th place.
"If
you want to win the title, we need to win such games and fight. Our
goal was to return to the top and we succeeded in that, and I
congratulate the players on achieving our goal," Talisca added.
Al Nassr next face Al Ittihad in a Saudi Super Cup semi-final on Thursday.
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