Christiano Ronaldo’s late header against Zamalek was enough to secure a spot for Saudi giants Al-Nassr in the knockouts of the Arab Champions Cup.
Al-Nassr met Egyptian powerhouse, Zamalek in the last group stage fixture of the Arab Club Champions Cup on Thursday, 3rd of August.
Earlier this week, Al-Nassr unveiled Sadio Mane from Bayern Munich, after the skipper suffered a harsh spell with the German giants. Mane battled injuries last season and also missed representing his home country Senegal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Ronaldo started for Al-Nassr in their match against Zamalek and although both sides created a few clear-cut chances, there was no goal to separate them at the end of the first half.
Six minutes into the second half, Alex Telles conceded a handball in Al-Nassr’s penalty box and the Egyptian players kept calling for a penalty. The VAR also advised the referee to watch the video of the incident. After he did, he gave Zamalek the penalty.
Zizo did not waste the opportunity as he calmly slotted the ball straight down the middle, sending the keeper to the side. Zamalek looked to pull through.
Mane came on as a substitute in the second half and he created some beautiful chances, but Al-Nassr could not convert. In the 87th minute, Ronaldo leaped and nodded a beautiful header from Konan’s cross not the back of the net.
At the end of the match, the draw was enough for Al-Nassr to secure their place on the knockouts. Ronaldo also became the first player to score 300 goals without his strong foot.
