· 2 min readIn this Al Nassr vs Al Diriyah match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
Al Nassr returned from the international break needing a response. Before the break, they had been thrashed 4-0 in the Asian Champions League and drawn with modest Abha. The team were far from where they needed to be, and this was one of those games they simply had to make the most of. On the other side were a growing Al Diriyah, with names like Darwin Núñez, Gana Gueye and Enzo Millot, managed by Bruno Lage. And, of course, there was Cristiano Ronaldo, under pressure after all the controversy surrounding the Portuguese national team.
Ronaldo actually scored in the 9th minute, after João Félix played him through with a lovely pass, but he was clearly offside. The link-up between the two appeared again in the 13th minute, in a move involving Samu that ended with Mané forcing Waleed into a save.
Al Nassr had more of the ball, but came very close to scoring in the 18th minute: a perfect cross from Ronaldo, a header from Félix and Qasem Lajami clearing the ball right on the line. A crucial intervention.
The goal eventually arrived in the 24th minute. Coman burst down the right, got past his marker and shot. Waleed looked to have everything under control, but let the ball slip through his hands and Ronaldo was there to make no mistake. 1-0, a finish into the top corner and 980 career goals. Just 20 to go. And what a first half the Portuguese was having, as he could already have had more than one goal contribution.
In the 35th minute, Samu Costa doubled the lead. João Félix took the corner, the midfielder made a good run to lose his marker and headed the ball unmarked, with it bouncing off the ground before going in. 2-0.
Al Nassr were in control and had a few more chances too. Félix wasted a good counter-attack in the 43rd minute after Ronaldo won the ball back and played him through, while Simakan missed an absolute sitter with a free header inside the six-yard box in stoppage time. You cannot miss that.
In the second half, though, the pace of the game changed. Al Diriyah started seeing more of the ball and pushed Al Nassr back, while the home side seemed happy with their lead. Very little of note happened for long stretches. Félix did force Waleed into a save in the 64th minute, but both sides were lacking intensity.
Until, in the 78th minute, Coman put the game to bed. On a quick counter-attack, he received a long ball, carried it forward with space and, despite having Ronaldo alongside him, decided to shoot. He made the right call: the ball hit the back of the net and it was 3-0. Game over.
In the 84th minute, young Awad Aman went off with a knee injury. He is still very raw and doesn’t look ready to be an undisputed starter, but he didn’t let the team down. With left-back having been a longstanding problem for Al Nassr, it’s worth continuing to give him opportunities.
In the end, an important win with little room for debate.
Post-match
Al Nassr needed a response, and they delivered. Ronaldo scored again, Coman also made his mark and, this time, the team didn’t make things complicated when they had a job they were expected to get done.
