Dubai: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr scored an incredible three goals in injury time to beat Al Batin 3-1 to continue their bid to win the Saudi Pro League title.
The match went into 15 minutes of added-on time and Al Nassr sparked to life to snatch a vital win from the jaws of defeat.
Ronaldo and his teammates were seconds away from a humiliating defeat in Riyadh as they trailed to an Al Batin side who had won only once all season. But the title chasers found a trio of goals to turn the game on its head in the last moments of the clash.
The Portuguese superstar went into the match in the midst of a stunning run of form which had seen him grab eight goals in his first five appearances for his new club since joining them in January.
Player of the Month
In his last match he scored a hat-trick which helped him win the Player of the Month award in the competition.
But Al Batin, who are seemingly destined for relegation, made life hard for Al Nassr and took the lead after 17 minutes at Mrsool Park Stadium thanks to a Renzo Lopez’s goal.
It remained 1-0 to the visitors until the end of 90 minutes but then Al Nassr burst into life. Abdulrahman Ghareeb scored an equaliser in the 93rd minute but Ronaldo did not celebrate with the rest of his teammates. The 38-year-old was clearly more interested in a winner, which came in the 102nd minute when Mohammed Al Fatil fired into the bottom corner. The goal sparked wild scenes with coach Rudi Garcia running 30 yards onto the field to celebrate with his players. And then Mohammed Maran made it 3-1 in the 14th minute of added-on time to seal an impressive comeback.
The three points saw Ronaldo’s team leapfrog Al Ittihad at the summit, clear by two points. Next up for Al Nassr is a top-of-the-table clash with Nuno Espirito Santo’s Al-Ittihad on March 9 - a game which will go a long way to deciding the destination of the Saudi Pro League title.
