Relief for Cristiano Ronaldo! Al-Nassr snatch last-gasp equaliser against Ivan Toney’s Al-Ahli after being stunned by Franck Kessie thunderbolt

Ronaldo was honoured before the game with a special ‘900 goals’ shirt and tifo after his latest record-break exploits but couldn’t add to his tally in a first half low on quality and clear-cut chances. The Portugal star’s best opportunity came from a free-kick that flew harmlessly over the bar. Marcelo Brozovic also had sight of goal for Ronaldo’s side but saw a shot blocked by Edouard Mendy, while Roberto Firmino had a chance at the other end with a curling shot that drew a flying save from Bento.

There was more drama in the second half with Al-Nassr penalty claims waved away when Talisca went down in the penalty area, before Franck Kessie smashed an unstoppable strike into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area after some good link-up play from Ivan Toney on his debut. Al-Nassr tried to hit back but had to wait until deep into stoppage time to rescue a point. Ronaldo’s team also needed a giant slice of luck as Sultan Al-Ghannam’s cross took a nick off Bassam Mohammed Alhurayji and sneaked past goalkeeper Mendy.

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  THE MVP

  Kessie may not have ended up on the winning side but the former Barcelona midfielder deserved the MVP award for his quite brilliant strike alone. In a match devoid of quality, particularly in attack, Kessie’s goal stood out, as he met his ball perfectly on the edge of the box and smashed it past a startled Bento and into the top corner. No goalkeeper in the world was keeping that one out.

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    THE BIG LOSER

    The fact that the hosts’ equaliser came via the boot of an Al-Ahli defender in the 99th minute tells you all you need to know about their attacking display as Al-Nassr’s forwards struggled all night to create chances and trouble Mendy. Ronaldo seemed out of sorts after the international break and never looked like adding to his famous tally. The Portugal star wasn’t helped by his team-mates either, with Sadio Mane and Talisca both struggling to provide any quality throughout the 90 minutes. A big improvement is needed if Al-Nassr are to seriously challenge for the title this season.

  • WHAT COMES NEXT?

    Both teams are back in Saudi Pro League action in a week’s time. Al-Nassr come up against Al-Ettifaq, while Al-Ahli take on Damac.

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      MATCH RATING (OUT OF FIVE): ⭐⭐