Al-Ahli defeat Al-Nassr on penalties despite Ronaldo reaching 100-goal milestone in Saudi Super Cup final
Al-Ahli claimed their second Saudi Super Cup title with a dramatic 5-3 penalty shootout victory over Al-Nassr in Hong Kong on Saturday, following a thrilling 2-2 draw that saw Cristiano Ronaldo reach a significant personal milestone despite finishing on the losing side. The showpiece final delivered high drama and quality football as both teams battled for supremacy in the prestigious competition.
The Portugal superstar, now 40, opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 40th minute to register his 100th goal for Al-Nassr after Ali Majrashi was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area. The landmark strike added another chapter to Ronaldo's remarkable goal-scoring legacy and gave his team the early advantage in what would prove to be an enthralling encounter.
Al-Ahli, fresh from their triumph in this year's Asian Champions League, responded with typical resilience in first-half stoppage time through Franck Kessie. The midfielder demonstrated clinical finishing ability, slotting home a low effort past Al-Nassr goalkeeper Bento after receiving a perfectly weighted pass from new signing Enzo Millot to level the scores heading into the break.
The second half maintained the frenetic pace as both teams pursued what they hoped would be the decisive goal. Ronaldo came close to adding to his milestone tally with a thunderous effort that tested Al-Ahli keeper Edouard Mendy, while at the other end, Firas Al-Buraikan struck the woodwork as chances continued to flow for both sides.
Al-Nassr appeared to have secured victory when Marcelo Brozovic restored their lead in the 82nd minute, showing great awareness to pounce on a defensive error and fire home from close range inside the penalty area. The Croatian midfielder's strike looked set to deliver the Saudi Super Cup to Riyadh, but Al-Ahli had other ideas.
The Jeddah-based outfit demonstrated their championship mentality by finding an equalizer in the 89th minute through Roger Ibanez, who powered home a header from Riyad Mahrez's corner kick after Bento misjudged the flight of the ball. The late drama sent the contest to a penalty shootout to determine the winner of the coveted trophy.
Al-Ahli proved nerveless from the spot, converting all five of their penalties with precision and composure. Although Ronaldo successfully found the net with his penalty attempt, maintaining his perfect record from twelve yards, Al-Nassr's hopes were dashed when one of their players failed to convert their spot-kick, handing the Jeddah club their second Saudi Super Cup triumph.
SportsLigue