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Fans jubilantly reacted on X (formerly Twitter) after Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 54th goal of 2023 to guide Al-Nassr to a 4-1 win against Al-Taawoun on Saturday, December 30.
The Knights of Najd were able to secure all three points in their final Saudi Pro League fixture of 2023 with a resounding win away from home.
Al-Taawoun had a strong start to the game and were awarded a penalty in the eighth minute after a handball inside the box. The hosts took the lead in the 14th minute through Aschraf El Mahdioui. Nawaf Alaqidi made a great save to deny El Mahdioui from scoring his penalty but was unable to keep the rebound out.
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Marcelo Brozovic leveled the scores with a 30-yard stunner into the bottom-right corner 12 minutes later. The Croatian then delivered an inch-perfect corner, which was headed into the back of the net by Aymeric Laporte in the 34th minute.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. took complete control of the game in the second half and quickly added a third in the 49th minute. Otavio got on the scoresheet with a simple finish into the bottom-right corner after a poor clearance by the hosts' defense.
Ronaldo rattled the woodwork with a ferocious effort from distance in the 71st minute. However, the five-time Ballon d'Or wasn't to be denied in the 91st minute as he netted a fine header. It was the 38-year-old's 54th goal for club and country, cementing his place as the top scorer across all competitions in 2023, above the likes of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.
Fans hailed Ronaldo for his performance against Al-Taawoun. The Portugal ace has been in sensational form for Al-Nassr this season, scoring 24 goals and registering 11 assists in 25 appearances in total.
One fan posted:
"Top scorer of the year at 38 years old... Cristiano Ronaldo!"
Another fan wrote:
"FOREVER THE GOAT"
How did Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr fare against Al-Taawoun?
Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Al-Nassr to a dominant 4-1 win against Al-Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.
The Knights of Najd dominated possession with 56 percent of the ball. They also attempted a total of 587 passes, with an accuracy of 90 percent. In contrast, Al-Taawoun had 44 percent possession and attempted 479 passes, with an accuracy of 83 percent.
Both sides looked threatening in attack but Al-Nassr had more opportunities overall. Luis Castro's men registered a total of 20 shots, with six being on target. On the other hand, Al-Taawoun had 13 shots in total, with eight being on target.
Al-Nassr remain second in the league standings with 46 points from 19 games, seven points behind leaders Al-Hilal.
