Ronaldo responds — Cristiano silences doubters to fire Al-Nassr top after midweek shocker

Just days after being dramatically substituted at halftime while Sadio Mane led a ten-man miracle comeback, the 41-year-old Portuguese legend responded the only way he knows how. 

Ronaldo scored a crucial second-half winner to drive Al Nassr to a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory against Al-Taawoun at Alawwal Park.

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The vital win keeps Al Nassr perfectly at the top of the Saudi Pro League standings with a flawless 12 points from their opening four matches.

Al Nassr walked onto their home pitch looking to protect their perfect record, but the home fans were quickly shocked into total silence.

In the 11th minute, Al-Taawoun midfielder Bassam Mohammed Alhurayji found space deep inside the penalty box. He let fly with a quick shot from close range that flew into the net, giving the underdogs a surprise 1-0 lead.

Al Nassr looked frustrated as they struggled to break down the opposition, and it seemed like they would head into the locker room trailing at the break.

However, deep into first-half stoppage time, Al Nassr's new midfield signing, Samu Costa, decided to take matters into his own hands.

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In the 45+5th minute, Costa picked up the ball and unleashed a powerful, unstoppable strike right past Al-Taawoun goalkeeper Mailson. 

The brilliant goal leveled the score at 1-1 right before the referee blew for halftime, giving the hosts a massive boost of energy.

Five minutes into the second half, the stadium completely exploded with joy.

Al Nassr defender Mohamed Simakan made a strong forward run and tried a shot that was deflected directly into the path of the waiting Ronaldo. With pure striker instincts, Ronaldo steered the ball safely into the back of the net to make it 2-1.

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The goal was Ronaldo's fourth of the season, proving that he is still the main man in Riyadh despite Mane's recent heroics.

With the lead secured, the manager decided to play it safe. In the 79th minute, Ronaldo and Angelo Gabriel were substituted off to loud cheers, replaced by Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Abdullah Al-Khaibari to pack the midfield and lock down the defence.

Al Nassr held firm until the final whistle to secure all three points. They now sit comfortably at the top of the league, three points ahead of rivals Al Hilal, who still have a game in hand.