Al Nassr Cristiano Ronaldo nets 100th Saudi Pro League goal in title push

Cristiano Ronaldo reached another remarkable milestone on Thursday, scoring his 100th goal in Saudi Arabian football as Al Nassr defeated Al Shabab 4-2 to strengthen their grip on the Saudi Pro League title race.

The victory moved Al Nassr five points clear of rivals Al Hilal at the top of the table, although the defending champions still have a match in hand.

Portuguese forward Joao Felix made a blistering start, putting Al Nassr firmly in control with two quick goals inside the opening 10 minutes. His clinical finishing stunned Al Shabab early on and gave the hosts immediate momentum.

However, the visitors responded before half-time through Yannick Carrasco, whose strike reduced the deficit and ensured the contest remained alive heading into the interval.

Ronaldo then delivered another decisive moment in the second half. The 41-year-old forward met a cross from Sadio Mané at the near post to restore Al Nassr’s two-goal advantage with 15 minutes remaining. 

The goal was Ronaldo’s 26th league strike of the campaign and the 971st of his extraordinary career.

"Ronaldo is always dangerous going forward and we saw that again today," Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus said.

Al Shabab threatened a late comeback when Ali Al-Bulayhi scored to make it 3-2, but Félix completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to seal the victory.

Attention now turns to Monday’s crucial derby against Al Hilal, a fixture that could prove decisive in the title race.

"Now we have a derby match against our rival, which is a difficult encounter," Jesus said.

"We are fully aware of its importance, and we are dealing with it with complete focus as we know that small details could decide the result."