"We believed until the end" - Jubilant Cristiano Ronaldo lauds Al-Nassr teammates for 3-2 comeback win against Al-Shabab
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his delight after helping Al-Aalami beat Al-Shabab 3-2 in the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday (May 23).
Al-Shabab were determined to hand a blow to Al-Nassr's hopes of winning the title as they took a two-goal lead at Mrsool Park. The hosts found themselves up against the wall after a brace from Cristian Guanca in the first half put their local rivals in the driving seat.
However, Anderson Talisca halved the deficit just before half-time, setting up an interesting second 45 minutes. Abdulrahman Ghareeb went on to equalize for Al-Nassr just six minutes into the second half.
Ronaldo remarkably put Al-Aalami in front eight minutes later, finding the back of the net with an incredible goal from outside of the box. His goal proved to be the winner, allowing the Mrsool Park outfit to remain three points behind toppers Al-Ittihad with two games left.
The Portuguese icon has said that his teammates require credit for overturning a two-goal deficit, a feat he reckons is very difficult to pull off. Ronaldo also expressed his gratitude towards the fans for their support.
"So happy that the team did it," Ronaldo said on Saudi Arabian television channel SSC Sports. "Fantastic game. To defeat (the opponents after going down) 2-0 is very, very difficult, but we believed until the end and we scored three goals. So, congratulations to the whole team and the support was amazing today. We are very happy."
Al-Nassr face Ettifaq and Al-Fateh in their remaining two games in the Saudi Pro League, while Al-Ittihad lock horns with Al-Feiha and Al-Tai. With just three points separating the clubs, it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious in the title race.
How did Cristiano Ronaldo fare for Al-Nassr against Al-Shabab?
Cristiano Ronaldo's winner against Al-Shabab was his 14th Saudi Pro League goal for Al-Nassr. He is now the fifth-top scorer in the league, six goals behind Golden Boot race leader Abderrazak Hamdallah. The 38-year-old also has two assists.
Although the forward was on the scoresheet, he would be disappointed with his overall performance. Cristiano Ronaldo hit the woodwork once and missed a big chance. He also just completed one of his three dribble attempts.
Cristiano Ronaldo had 37 touches in the game, which was the least by any Al-Nassr outfield starter. He also made 17 passes, with only Anderson Talisca and goalkeeper Agustin Rossi faring worse. Furthermore, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner lost possession 11 times.