Cristiano Ronaldo hit the target to help Al Nassr down reigning champions Al Ittihad and open up a three-point gap at the top of the Saudi Pro League.
Both sides came into the game with perfect records after three matches, but it was Ronaldo and company who stretched their 100 percent run into a fourth as they left King Abdullah Sports City with a 2-0 win.
Former Liverpool and Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mané opened the scoring in the ninth minute, hanging back in space at the far post and hammering home a volley after a tidy run and cross from Kingsley Coman.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored Al Nassr’s second goal in their win over Al Ittihad.
Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
With 35 minutes gone Mané turned creator, chipping the ball through for the onrushing Ronaldo, who ghosted through the Al Ittihad backline and powered his header past Predrag Rajkovic.
That was the 40-year-old’s fourth league goal in as many games this season, following an opening-day effort against Al Taawoun and a brace versus Al Riyadh. His running career tally now stands at 946, with the thousand goal mark inching closer by the day.
The result hands Al Nassr an early advantage over Laurent Blanc’s side, who finished 13 points above them to claim last season’s title.
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