“Cristiano Ronaldo achieved his remarkable 65th career hat-trick during the same number of matches, coinciding with Al Nassr’s commanding 8-0 victory over Abha in Tuesday’s Saudi Pro League fixture. Notably, the Portuguese maestro contributed with two crucial assists at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium.
In Short
“Ronaldo swiftly converted two free kicks within the first 20 minutes before becoming the provider for former Liverpool forward Saad Al-Mane. His first free kick went beneath the wall, while the second found a gap in the wall.
Ronaldo’s Hat-trick
ALL CRISTIANO RONALDO THREE GOALS vs ABHA#CristianoRonaldo 🐐pic.twitter.com/A3lkwSIuGS
— CR7️⃣ Fan Club (@flemingracool) April 3, 2024
The 39-year-old five-time Ballon d’Or winner completed his hat-trick in the 42nd minute with a delightful chip over the Abha goalkeeper, bringing his league-leading tally to 29 goals this season, ahead of Al Hilal’s Alexander Mitrovic in the Golden Boot race. Ronaldo contributed to all five goals before halftime, setting up Saudi midfielder Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem for a tap-in.
Abdulrahman Ghareeb scored shortly after the restart, and substitute Abdulaziz Al-Aliwawi netted twice in the 63rd and 86th minutes to seal the goal fest.
Al Nassr on second spot of RSL
After defeating Al-Oqhdood 3-0 at home, Al Nassr’s victory puts them on 62 points, 12 points behind league leaders Al Hilal. On Tuesday, Ronaldo’s first two goals came from free kicks. Eleven minutes before the break, he initiated scoring with a low shot from just outside the box. The second came ten minutes later as he curled the ball around the wall from the left.
Ronaldo, leading the SPL with 29 goals, assisted Al-Mane for Al-Nassr’s third goal just after halftime, pulling the ball back from the left for the former Liverpool forward to score.
Mid goal though pic.twitter.com/bFFzlxBMWs
— FUNNIEST THING HAVE SEEN TODAY 😀🤣😄 (@lappoosky) April 2, 2024
65th Hat-trick
Three minutes before the break, Ronaldo completed his hat-trick with a stunning chip from outside the area. There was still ample time in the first half for Ronaldo to slip the ball through to Al-Sulaiheem for an open goal.
This was the seventh time Ronaldo achieved a first-half hat-trick, taking his career total to 65, including 44 with Real Madrid. Since joining Al Nassr, the Portuguese star has scored three or more goals in a match five times.
Also Read : “Rodrygo’s Brace: Real Madrid Secures Victory as League Leaders”
Update on next season
Despite Ronaldo’s stellar performance, Al Nassr remain 12 points behind leaders Al Hilal, and are out of contention for the AFC Champions League and Saudi Arabia domestic cup, meaning there might be another season without silverware for the 39-year-old since his move to the Middle East a year ago.
Al Hilal announced at the start of the day that they are likely to miss second-placed striker Alexander Mitrovic for the rest of the season due to an injury, leaving him with 22 goals, trailing Ronaldo by three in the race for the Golden Boot.
photos source : X
