Al-Akhdoud vs Al-Nassr: Ronaldo misses out on 'fastest' goalscoring record as Faris Najd extend league lead

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his relentless march toward 1,000 career goals as Al Nassr secured a 2-0 victory over Al Akhdoud, extending their lead at the summit of the Saudi Pro League.

Jorge Jesus’s side arrived heavily favoured for the tie held at Prince Hathloul bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Najran but faced a potential banana skin against a compact Al-Akhdoud team fighting relegation. 

The visitors ultimately showcased their title credentials, with goals from talismanic captain Cristiano Ronaldo and his protégé, Joao Felix, delivering the goods. 

The 41-year-old Portuguese superstar scored his 968th official career goal to open the scoring and settle Al Nassr's early nerves.

The goal arrived in the 15th minute when Ronaldo latched onto a perfectly weighted through pass that completely bypassed the Al Akhdoud backline. 

Finding himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Samuel Portugal, the veteran forward delivered a clinical finish, slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner. 

The strike marks his 98th goal in just 101 Roshen League appearances; however, it was not enough to eclipse Abderrazak Hamdallah’s all-time record as the fastest player to reach a century of goals in the Saudi Pro League (100 goals in 101 matches).

Following Ronaldo's early opener, Al Nassr dominated possession, utilising the flanks through Sadio Mané and Ângelo Gabriel. 

However, the first half was marred by a major refereeing controversy in the 36th minute. Al Nassr winger Ayman Yahya was blatantly pushed inside the penalty area by Al Akhdoud defender Christian Bassogog. 

Despite fierce protests from the visiting players and staff, the referee waved play on, and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) upheld the decision. 

The incident has sparked further controversy surrounding refereeing in the division after Al Ahli recently released a statement decrying poor officiating.

Despite the palpable frustration over the denied penalty, Al Nassr maintained their defensive composure. Missing key defensive figure Iñigo Martínez due to a hamstring issue, the backline, marshalled by Mohamed Simakan and Abdulelah Al Amri, with Bento Krepski in goal, resolutely shut down Al Akhdoud's counter-attacking threats led by Saleh Al-Abbas and Khaled Narey.

Al Nassr eventually found their crucial second goal through a Felic header into a vacated goal to put the game beyond doubt, securing a comfortable 2-0 victory and a vital clean sheet on the road.

The result keeps them firmly at the top of the table with 73 points, maintaining their cushion over title rivals Al Hilal and Al Ahli as the season enters its final stretch.