Cristiano Ronaldo was back among goals as Al-Nassr thrashed Al-Ain 5-1 in the AFC Champions League.
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Ronaldo once again shone on continental stagePoaching instincts on display as he scored second for Al-NassrNetted after drawing a blank in four successive matchesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportTELL ME MORE
The Portuguese talisman was going through a rare slump as he failed to get his name on the scoresheet across four consecutive matches in all competitions. And with Ronaldo struggling to get going, Al-Nassr were also found labouring in attack as they crashed out of the King Cup of Champions and were subsequently held to a 1-1 draw by league leaders Al-Hilal.
However, how can one forget that Ronaldo has a panache for shining on the continental stages and on Tuesday evening he did not disappoint the home fans. After Talisca gave the hosts an early lead, the 39-year-old, pounced on a mistake by Khalid Eisa and doubled the lead just after the half-hour mark. The Knights of Najdrefused to take their foot off the gas and were rewarded for their perseverance with a third when Angelo's attempt at goal was deflected into the net by Fabio Cardoso.
Hernan Crespo's men came out of the tunnel with more determination and with a stroke of luck reduced the deficit as a fortuitous strike from Park Yong-woo struck the woodwork and went in after crashing onto Al-Nassr keeper Bento's back. The defending champions kept asking questions of Al-Nassr's defence and they almost scored the second but for a mix-up between their two forwards. Stefano Pioli rung the changes and took off Ronaldo and Sadio Mane for defensive reinforcements to weather the storm. However, against the run of play, Al-Nassr scored the fourth through Wesley and there was no looking back. They grew in confidence in the final quarter and Talisca scored his second to complete a 5-1 rout that sealed the three points for the Saudi outfit.
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Talisca opened the scoring in the night and he rounded things off by completing his brace by netting another deep inside second-half stoppage time. He was a live-wire in attack and his partnership with Ronaldo flourished with the duo combining several times to slice open a meek Al-Ain defence.
THE BIG LOSER
Pressure grows on Crespo as Al-Ain remain winless in this edition of the AFC Champions League. As the defending champions, they were expected to show more grit and composure but apart from a brief spell in the second half, they looked mostly flat. Moreover, they are eighth in the UAE Pro League and if things do not turn around in the near future, the Argentine might be staring at the exit door.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
After a comprehensive victory in the Champions League, Al-Nassr will be back in action against Al-Riyadh on Friday evening in the Saudi Pro League.