Ronaldo clinches inaugural Al-Nassr title, secures victory with impressive brace in Arab Club Champions Cup final

Cristiano Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr to their first Arab Club Champions Cup title with 2-1 win over Al-Hilal.

In a historic victory, Cristiano Ronaldo led a 10-man Al-Nassr team to their first-ever Arab Club Champions Cup title. Despite failing to secure a trophy last season, Ronaldo's exceptional performance in the tournament, scoring six goals, propelled his team to the championship. The tournament featured elite Arab clubs from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria.

The star-studded Al-Nassr side, boasting close season signings such as Sadio Mane, Seko Fofana, and Marcelo Brozovic, created numerous opportunities to score in the first half. However, goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais denied all their attempts. The game remained goalless until the second half, when Al-Hilal's Malcom provided a cross that found his fellow Brazilian Michael, who scored with a powerful header, putting Al-Hilal in the lead.

Adding insult to injury, Michael celebrated his goal with Cristiano Ronaldo's signature celebration, running to the corner flag and leaping into the air. This seemed to ignite Ronaldo, who equalized in the 74th minute by connecting with a low cross from right back Sultan Al-Ghannam. This goal marked Ronaldo's fifth consecutive game with a goal.

Al-Nassr faced setbacks when defender Abdulelah Al-Amri received a red card in the second half, and Nawaf Boushal was also sent off while on the bench for arguing with an official. However, they managed to hold on and take the game into extra time. In the first half of extra time, Ronaldo further solidified his hero status by doubling the lead. He capitalized on a rebound off the crossbar and headed the ball into the net with the goalkeeper out of position.

Unfortunately, concerns arose when Ronaldo was forced off the field due to an apparent injury after a collision in the second period of extra time. This incident occurred just two days before Al-Nassr's Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Ettifaq.

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