Al-Nassr were able to cruise past Al-Fateh with a 3-1 win despite Bento's howler almost giving the Saudi Pro League strugglers hope of a draw.
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Al-Nassr win 3-1 over Al-FatehMane shines in victory with an assistGoalkeeper Bento guilty of howlerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE
Al-Nassr hosted Al-Fateh at Al-Awwal Stadium as they looked to overtake third-placed Al Qadsiyah, who face off against league leaders Al-Hilal on Monday. However, what awaited them was not as straightforward a match against the last-placed side in the league standings as they might have expected, with Al-Fateh putting on a strong defensive showing in the first half.
Sadio Mane looked to have opened the scoring after just 15 minutes as he found space from his defender on the counter before ripping a strong shot past keeper Peter Szappanos. The shot rattled the underside of the crossbar before going in, however, it was ruled offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
The visitor had another let off when Ronaldo saw a header ruled out for offside after a ball in from Angelo. However, the Brazilian winger forced the opener just a minute later after a scruffy ball was turned into his own goal by Al-Fateh defender Marwane Saadane. Brozovic almost doubled Al-Nassr's lead in the last action of the first half as he saw a perfect shot from outside the box palmed away by Szappanos to keep Al-Fateh in the tie.
After a strong start to the second half, Al-Nassr looked close to doubling their lead as Ronaldo hit the post and claimed that the ball had gone in but was denied by goal-line technology. However, just seconds later the five-time Ballon d'Or winner had an easier chance to score but flopped as he skied his shot from inside the six-year box. Nonetheless, Al-Nassr were able to double their lead after Mohamed Simakan smashed a header into Szappanos' goal from Angelo's cross.
Al-Fateh then seemed to find a second wind as they dominated and hit the woodwork twice before Al-Nassr goalkeeper Bento was guilty of a poor mistake. The stopper appeared to channel his inner winger as he dribbled past two players in his own box before gifting a pass to Mourad Batna, who halved the home side's lead.
Luckily for Stefano Pioli, Al-Nassr managed to hold their slender lead to take away all three points against the Saudi Pro League strugglers before Ronaldo struck to secure the three points late on. There was more drama in stoppage time as Ronaldo scored again but saw his effort ruled out by VAR for an offside that took place nearly 20 seconds before the ball hit the back of the net, leaving the Portugal star furious.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE MVP
Mane was impressive all over the pitch and created plenty of chances for his team-mates. The former Liverpool star twice found Ronaldo in a good position in the second half but missed out on assists as the Portugal international skied both attempts. However, towards the end of the game, Mane was able to set up Ronaldo yet again with a delightful ball which was tapped home by the Portuguese legend to finally give the forward his well deserved assist.
Getty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER
Bento had little to do in Al-Nassr's goal as Al-Fateh defended deep and did not pose much threat. After Al-Nassr took the two-goal lead, Bento was suddenly called into action twice as Al-Fateh hit the post. The goalkeeper was then guilty of some really poor play to gift Al-Fateh a goal, and a potential way back into the match, before Ronaldo sealed the victory.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Al-Nassr will return to action on Thursday, January 30 when they travel to Buraydah to take on relegation battlers Al-Raed, who have lost all of their last five Saudi Pro League clashes.