Cristiano Ronaldo's late free-kick inspired Al-Nassr's comeback as they beat Abha 2-1 in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.
01.03.2023 - 18:55 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Saudi Pro League player of the the month for February having scored eight goals in four matches for his new club Al-Nassr.
It comes after the FIFA Best award was handed out this week, with Lionel Messi taking the crown ahead of Karim Benzema after leading Argentina to the World Cup. In addition to his greatest rival taking the honour, Ronaldo was left out of the FIFA World XI for the first time since 2006.
The former Manchester United forward has started life in Saudi Arabia well, with his presence in the team helping Al-Nassr to secure a place at the top of the table. This will be a boost as they hope to wrestle the title from AL-Hilal, who have won the league in each of the past three seasons.
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Ronaldo scored a later equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Al Fateh on February 3 for his first goal for his new club, this was followed up by a remarkable four goals against Al Wehda. In a creative display, he turned provider against Al Taawoun, assisting both Al Nassr goals in a 2-1 win before a second hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Damac last Saturday.
Scoring eight goals in four matches is no small feat, considering that the Saudi Po League is ranked as the top league in Asia based on the AFC competition coefficients. Saudi clubs have been a dominant force in the AFC Champions League at times and winning the league could set Ronaldo up for further continental honours with qualification to Asia's equivalent of the UEFA Champions League.
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Cristiano Ronaldo's late free-kick inspired Al-Nassr's comeback as they beat Abha 2-1 in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.
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