Cristiano Ronaldo Scores 15-Minute Hat-Trick as Al Nassr Beat Al Kholood 5-3
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his hat-trick as Al Nassr defeat Al Kholood 5-3, taking his career tally to 985 goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a superb hat-trick as Al Nassr defeated Al Kholood 5-3 on Thursday. The victory moved the Portuguese forward closer to the remarkable milestone of 1,000 career goals.
With the match level at 2-2, Ronaldo scored three times in 15 second-half minutes. His goals secured victory for Ange Postecoglou’s side and took his career tally to 985.
The 41-year-old now needs 15 more goals to reach the landmark.
Ronaldo Turns the Match Around
Al Kholood took an early lead through Julien Domingues in the 16th minute. Al Nassr responded eight minutes later when Ângelo Gabriel found the net.
Sadio Mané then put the hosts ahead in the 38th minute. João Félix provided the assists for both Al Nassr goals.
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However, Antoine Loïc Essomba equalised in first-half stoppage time. The teams went into the break with the score tied at 2-2.
Ronaldo had also seen two first-half efforts ruled out. He finally restored Al Nassr’s lead in the 66th minute with a close-range finish.
Six minutes later, he doubled his tally with a powerful header. The forward completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute, converting Mané’s pass.
Domingues scored a late penalty for Al Kholood. Al Nassr nevertheless held on to claim all three points.
Ronaldo Celebrates Hat-Trick
Ronaldo expressed his happiness after helping Al Nassr secure the victory.
“Great win, great team performance. Happy to help with a hat-trick!” he wrote on social media.
The treble took his career tally to 985 goals. He now stands just 15 goals away from the 1,000-goal milestone.
Al Nassr Remain Second in League Standings
The victory kept Al Nassr second in the Saudi Pro League standings, according to the supplied match report.
Al Qadsiah strengthened their position with a 6-0 victory over Al Riyadh. Tijjani Reijnders also scored a hat-trick in that match.
Ronaldo’s latest performance adds another milestone to his remarkable career. His pursuit of 1,000 goals remains a major talking point as the Saudi Pro League season continues.
